Agricultural exports by river and sea transport as of September 19 amounted to 2.2 million tons. As Spike Вrokers analysts report, the current pace indicates an expected absolute record for exports by river transport in September. It may reach almost 3 million tons if no serious changes happen.
In addition to the success of agricultural export by river transport, the functioning of the alternative grain corridor of the sea route has been officially confirmed. Operators are already in active negotiations with shipowners. In the near future, we can expect a number of large-sized vessels in the direction of the ports of Odesa.
Given the limited fleet supply and war risks, the estimated cost of freight to Spain via the alternative sea corridor is expected to be around $40 for Handy-Class vessels and $25 for Panamax-Class vessels. These rates are almost $30-40/ton lower than the existing river export alternatives for Ukrainian agricultural products.