Ukraine ports hold up grain shipments
Grain is being held in rail cars, ships and elevators at Odessa, Nickolayev and Ilyichevsk ports
While Ukraine's government has delayed official quotas on grain exports, it seems customs at Odessa, Nickolayev, and Ilyichevsk ports have already put a de facto ban in place.
According to the Ukrainian customs department, as many as 20 grain cargoes were delayed in September. However, explained Andrew Winkler of Commodore Research: “Higher levels of the agriculture department and the economic ministry would seem to be implicated in the red tape that is holding up these shipments.”
He said that although there are no apparent quotas in place, these groups have favoured a "wait and see" approach, passing on directives down to customs officials who in turn execute the orders.
Customs processes at these ports have led to significant delays in issuing permits for export, with the introduction of new inspections causing further hold-ups. At the start of September, around 1m tonnes of grain was being held in the ports themselves, with ships at anchor holding about half that amount again. A further 300,000 tonnes had been held up in rail cars.
Mr Winkler added that these amounts roughly total government quotas that were proposed in the middle of August but never acted upon.
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