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Russia Pivots Grain Exports to Baltic Ports Amid Black Sea Attacks
31 Aug
Summary
- Russian grain exporters are rerouting shipments to Baltic ports.
- Ukrainian drone attacks have disrupted Black Sea and Azov Sea trade routes.
- Baltic ports may handle up to 10 million tons of grain this season.
Russian grain exporters have begun rerouting shipments towards the Baltic Sea, including ports in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, following persistent Ukrainian drone attacks. These strikes have severely disrupted traditional export routes through the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which accounted for 90% of Russia's seaborne grain exports last season.
While Russian Baltic ports have a combined annual capacity of up to 7 million tons, they are insufficient to fully replace the capacity of the Black Sea ports. Industry estimates suggest that all alternative Russian ports and land transport can only handle about half of the usual Black Sea shipments. However, Baltic state ports could potentially handle between 5 and 10 million tons this season, a significant increase from previous years.
Shipments by rail to Russian Baltic ports have already seen a substantial rise for August and September. Despite strained relations, Russian grain shipments through Baltic countries have continued, albeit at lower volumes than two years ago. Experts anticipate a sharp increase in these shipments starting next month.
