Ukrainian exports soar to pre-war levels at three Black Sea ports

Last summer, 1,300 ships used the temporary sea route established by Ukraine and its international partners following the Russian Federation's departure from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Ukrinform reports that Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, said this while speaking at a round table.

As the Ukrainian representative noted, agricultural products from Ukraine are delivered to 40 countries via an alternative sea corridor.

"This exceeds the volume of exports for the entire year of operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative," Kyslytsia noted.

In total, 25 million tons of Ukrainian farmers' products were exported from the ports of "Pivdenny," "Odesa," and "Chornomorsk," he added.

At the same time, Kyslytsia emphasized that exports from these ports had reached pre-war levels.

"We are consistently working to increase the capacity of all corridors," Ukraine's envoy to the UN emphasized.

He also stressed that about 400 million people in the world depend on Ukrainian food exports.

"Even in these difficult times, we are ready to defend our role as a guarantor of global food security," the diplomat noted. "The Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program is a worthy illustration of this."

So far, as part of this initiative, eight ships carrying over 200,000 tons of grain have been dispatched to Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen, Nigeria, and Sudan.

As Kyslytsia noted, last week, another shipment of Ukrainian grain was delivered to Sudan within the framework of the initiative and with the support of the UN World Food Program, designed to provide assistance to 2 million people.

Ukraine's representative to the UN emphasized that the end of the Russian occupation and missile attacks on Ukrainian ports and infrastructure will increase the supply of food to the world market, which will contribute to the strengthening of global food security.

For reference:

As previously reported by Rubryka, in January 2024, Ukraine achieved a record physical export volume during the large-scale invasion—domestic manufacturers exported 12 million tons of products.

Also, in January, for the first time, a ship involved in export operations was insured against war risks under UNITY insurance, which the Ukrainian government created together with partners.

In addition, Ukraine continues to play an important role in guaranteeing global food security. In 2023, Ukrainian farmers harvested more than 70 million tons of grain and oil crops and exported products worth almost 22 billion dollars. This is a very important signal to the world that Ukraine is ready to produce and deliver food to those who need it.

In August, Ukraine declared a "humanitarian corridor" to release ships bound for African and Asian markets and to avoid Russia's de facto blockade following its breach of a prior agreement guaranteeing exports during times of war.

The Navy of Ukraine's armed forces announced the opening of a temporary corridor that can be used by all civilian vessels, particularly those in the ports of Odesa.

Last August, Ukraine declared a "humanitarian corridor" to release ships en route to African and Asian markets and to bypass Russia's unofficial blockade following the failure of a deal that guaranteed its exports during wartime.

On March 3, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine will continue to develop the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program.

The Grain from Ukraine program provides for the purchase of Ukrainian grain by partner countries and its transfer to states suffering from a humanitarian crisis. The program is implemented in partnership with the World Food Program under the auspices of the United Nations.