Yagodin, Mostiska crossings enabled Ukraine's exports, imports by rail to grow by over a third in 2023

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Exports and imports by rail via the Mostiska crossing on Ukraine's western border increased by 34.7%, or 1.36 million tonnes, and through the Yagodin border crossing by 36.5%, or 0.75 million tonnes, in 2023, making them the busiest export and import routes last year, Ukrainian media cited deputy director of JSC Ukrainian Railways' commercial operations department Valery Tkachev as saying at a meeting with Polish carriers on Thursday.

A total of 3.78 million tonnes of cargo were exported via the Mostiska border crossing in 2023, which is 760,000 tonnes more than in 2022, while imports through this crossing point rose by 598,900 tonnes to 1.49 million tonnes, Tkachev said.

The increase in exports was due to coal (151,000 tonnes), grain (468,000 tonnes), and ferrous metals (400,000 tonnes), he said.

Import drivers at this border crossing were oil cargo, the import of which rose by 126,500 tonnes, coal, the import of which grew by nearly 163,000 tonnes, as well as, albeit to a lesser extent, ferrous metals and coke, the imports of which increased by 23,000 tonnes and 29,000 tonnes, respectively, Tkachev said.

Exports through the Yagodin border crossing rose by 383,700 tonnes to 1.65 million tonnes in 2023, Tkachev said.

"This growth was due mainly to an increase in grain cargo transfers: we transferred more than 1.07 million tonnes, and this is plus 265,000 tonnes, via Yagodin last year," he said.

Imports via this border crossing increased by 370,200 tonnes to 1.17 million tonnes in 2023, Tkachev said.

Ukraine's other border crossings showed mixed results last year, Tkachev said. In particular, the Rava Russkaya crossing handled 167,200 tonnes of exports in 2023, a 95,800-tonne decline from 2022, whereas imports through it grew by 32,500 tonnes to 51,800 tonnes.

Last year's imports via the Izov border crossing stood at 1.4 million tonnes, a decrease of 243,000 tonnes from 2022, Tkachev said.