Ukraine currently exports 20% of agricultural goods via Romania compared with 70% last summer - Agriculture Ministry

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - About 20% of agricultural exports from Ukraine are currently delivered via Romania, whereas in the summer of 2023 this figure stood at up to 70%, Ukrainia media said citing a statement of the country's First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky.

The video of his statements has been posted in the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine.

Vysotsky recalled that Ukraine currently dispatches large volumes of exports through Romania by road, rail and through sea channels via the Danube and Constanta.

"In general, if we look at all directions of transportation [of agricultural goods - IF], this channel now accounts for approximately one fifth. But this is only because exports in December through the ports of Greater Odessa increased quite significantly. If we take previous periods, we had up to 70% in some months in summer, in particular, in August-September. Seventy percent of exports of Ukrainian agricultural products went through Romania", the first deputy minister said.

The opening of a new highway in Romania from the Ukrainian border to seaports will contribute to the increase in exports of Ukrainian agricultural products and make it Ukraine's main trade partner, Vysotsky said.

"Romania is now developing its infrastructure and, in particular, thinking about road transport. (...) In the first half of January, almost half of the cargoes transported by road were exported through Romania. Difficulties with export through the Polish border played a role here. So far, there are fewer obstacles with Romania when exporting through border crossing points. The development of highways will allow Romania to become one of Ukraine's main trade partners in terms of logistics," the deputy minister said.

"This is an opportunity to make logistics and delivery of Ukrainian agricultural products around the world cheaper. There will be an opportunity to travel faster and with fewer queues, with less waiting time through Romania and to Romanian ports for export by sea, as well as through Romania to other European countries," he said and added that the capacity expansion will reduce vehicle downtime and lower the cost of logistics per unit of production.

According to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, Ukraine exported 67.5 million tonnes of agricultural goods in 2023, up 15% from 2022.