Grain Transshipment Through Russian Seaports Shows First Growth Since 2025

Grain transshipment through Russian seaports recorded its first increase since 2025 in February 2026, according to data released by the Association of Commercial Sea Ports of Russia (ASOP). At the same time, fertilizer shipments through Russian ports continued to decline for the second consecutive month.

Overall cargo turnover at Russian seaports totaled 129.5 million tonnes in the first two months of 2026, representing a 4.7% decrease compared with the same period last year.

Dry Cargo Declines, Grain Volumes Increase

Total dry cargo handling fell by 5.9% to 61 million tonnes during the reporting period.

However, individual cargo segments developed differently:

• Mineral fertilizers: 6.9 million tonnes (–8.5%)

• Grain: 7 million tonnes (+6.1%)

The increase in grain shipments marks the first notable growth in grain transshipment volumes since 2025.

Bulk Cargo Slightly Down

The handling of bulk cargo declined by 3.5% to 68.5 million tonnes.

Within this category, food cargoes saw the steepest drop, falling to 0.7 million tonnes, a decline of 21.3%.

Exports Continue to Dominate Port Activity

Export cargo remained the dominant component of Russian port throughput during the period.

• Exports: 103.2 million tonnes (–4.3%)

• Imports: 6.2 million tonnes (–6.3%)

• Transit cargo: 8.1 million tonnes (–28.1%)

• Coastal cargo: 11.8 million tonnes (+18.7%)

The sharp contraction in transit cargo represents one of the most significant changes in port activity.

Arctic Ports Expand While Black Sea Region Declines

Regional performance varied significantly across Russia’s port basins.

Ports in the Arctic basin recorded the strongest growth, with cargo turnover rising to 15.9 million tonnes, an increase of 14.6%.

By contrast, ports in the Azov–Black Sea basin handled 33.1 million tonnes, representing a significant decline of 19.1%.

Russian Wheat Prices Reach Seven-Month High

At the same time, prices for Russian wheat have been rising on international markets.

Russian wheat under FOB terms recently climbed to a seven-month high of $234–236 per tonne.

Russian wheat exports in February are estimated at 2.9 million tonnes.

Source: OleoScope