According to Pavel Lysenko, analyst with ASAP Agri and freight broker with Atria Brokers, freight rates for grain shipments from Ukraine remain largely stable at the beginning of May. Despite the switch to more expensive fuel for vessels sailing through the Mediterranean Sea (due to the new MARPOL regulation taking effect on May 1), shipowners still find it difficult to push for higher rates. However, even amid a significant shortage of fresh firm cargo orders, owners still continue to successfully resist further rate cuts. As a result, rates remain mostly flat across all DWT segments, with some fluctuations on specific routes.

Thus, according to Atria Brokers’ freight department, freight for a Panamax lot of corn from Ukrainian deep-water ports to South China remains at 34–35 USD/MT.

In the Handysize segment, freight for a 30,000t corn shipment to East Coast Italy holds at 16–17 USD/MT .

In the Coaster sector, freight for a 6,000t corn shipment from Ukrainian Danube ports to East Coast Italy is quoted at 29–30 USD/MT.

Barge freight for 1,000–3,000t of corn from Izmail or Reni to Constanta remains within 8–9 EUR/MT.

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