Due to unfavorable weather conditions, traffic on the Danube River has been suspended since December 6. As of December 5, only one vessel of more than 10k dwt was expected to sail west to Sulina, but the canal administration would not agree to suspend downstream navigation for the sake of one vessel
In March 2024, the Romanian port of Constanta plans to launch an additional anchorage for Ukrainian agricultural products. This agreement was reached in Romania at a meeting on increasing the export capacity of Ukrainian Danube ports.
According to the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat), EU countries imported 92,100 t of urea from Azerbaijan worth €35.71 million in January-September 2023. Thus, the overall import volume increased by 2.5 times, and the total value rose by 43.5% compared with the same period last year.
In the period started August 8, when the Navy of the Ukrainian Armed Forces established a temporary corridor for vessels heading to/from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, and until today a total of 200 vessels went along the corridor departing from the ports while 226 ships used it to enter the ports.
The growth of the large-tonnage market, worsening weather conditions and a slight increase in grain and fertilizer shipments failed to help small-tonnage owners to raise freight rates at least slightly in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The fact is that the regional vessel list remains excessive.
Serbian Minister of Mines and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic announced the completion of the construction of an interconnector with Bulgaria that will allow importing gas from Azerbaijan.
Dynamics of average mazut prices, $/tonne
The Lithuanian port of Klaipeda has received 55,000 t of mineral fertilizers, most of which are destined for Ukraine, the rest for the Baltic States and Poland. According to Kernel, these fertilizers will have to undergo complicated logistics, with further sea, road and rail handling.
As of December 4, 15 vessels were at the roadstead of the Sulina and Bystre Canals. The average waiting period for a call is about 2-5 days.
Dynamics of average mazut prices, $/tonne