Deputy Minister: Ukraine plans to resume container shipping across the Black Sea
14 March 2024 21:55
The first container shipments through the Ukrainian sea corridor may be carried out within two to three weeks, said Yuriy Vaskov, Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development.
Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Yuriy Vaskov said this during a roundtable discussion on Ukrainian exports organised by the Centre for Economic Strategy, Kommersant ukrainskyi reports
.
“All five container terminals are ready to handle (containers – ed.). Almost all of them are involved in transshipment of agricultural and other products. But containers are a priority, and they are negotiating. I hope that in two to three weeks we will get the first steps,
– vaskov said.
According to his forecast, terminals and container lines will resume operations in stages: “first the first line, then the second, and then the third.”
The deputy minister also noted that the traffic will start with small vessels, the so-called feeder ships, and container lines will follow them if there are no incidents.
Vaskov added that the Ministry of Reconstruction also hopes to resume road ferry service within two weeks, and rail ferry service in two months.
According to him, all types of cargo, except for dangerous goods, fall under railway ferry services.
The deputy minister noted that container services between Ukraine and Romania from the port of Reni and between Romania and Turkey from the port of Izmail are already operating in the Danube ports.
Vaskov added that the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company is also ready to transport containers up the Danube, but so far there have been no such shipments.
Vaskov reminded that in February, the corridor reached a record export and import volume of 8 million tonnes, of which 60-65% were agricultural products, while the rest were ore, metals, fertiliser imports, and other goods
In total, he said, 1.8 million tonnes of cargo passed through the Danube in February, almost 50% of the maximum reached in 2023, and together with the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, traffic in February reached almost 10 million tonnes, or 75% of the pre-war volume.
