The key barrier to the export of Ukrainian grain processing products remains logistics issues.
This was stated by the director of the Grain Processors Association of Ukraine, Rodion Rybchynskyi, as reported by APK-Inform.
He noted that despite Europe’s support, the limited routes and high costs make it difficult for Ukrainian products to enter global markets.
According to Rybchynskyi, significant support has come from the so-called "solidarity routes" — corridors opened by EU countries for Ukrainian exports via their railway infrastructure, particularly to Baltic and Polish ports. However, these alternatives cannot fully compensate for the loss of traditional routes.
"Baltic ports, on the one hand, are attractive because they have direct container lines and the possibility of shipments to North America, South Asia, and so on. But it’s a very long route for goods to get there... In fact, compared to 2021, we see that only the port of Ventspils handled slightly more Ukrainian products, while all other ports saw a decrease," explained the expert.
For instance, the Port of Ventspils (Latvia) slightly increased the transshipment of Ukrainian products in 2023 compared to 2021. However, through the Port of Klaipėda (Lithuania), volumes fell almost by half. In contrast, Polish ports significantly increased their processing of Ukrainian grain and its products.
However, Baltic ports remain important alternative routes for exports from Ukraine, according to the expert. Among the main advantages are access to Northern and Western Europe, delivery times, climate stability, modern infrastructure, fewer traffic jams, and, most importantly, shipping safety. Among the disadvantages are logistics costs that are 2-3 times higher compared to Danube ports, higher cargo handling costs, and "bottlenecks" on the railways.
