First Ukrainian grain export leaves port since the start of Russia conflict

This morning (Monday, 1st August 2022), the first shipment of grain left Ukraine following July's trade agreement between Ukraine, Russia and Turkey. The first ships to sail under the new deal will be those that were loaded ahead of the conflict but had been unable to move since.

At 09:48 local time on Monday, 1st August the first ship laden with 26,000 tonnes of corn left Odesa, the first export of its kind since the conflict broke out in February of this year.
The routing will see the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni travel from the Black Sea port of Odesa to Turkey, with an expected arrival date of Tuesday, 2nd August. Once in Turkey, the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) will inspect the ship's cargo, before continuing on to its final port of call in Tripoli, Lebanon.

The JCC, based in Istanbul, is made up of representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations and is working alongside the military to ensure safe passage of the vessel.

Backed by the United Nations, the deal's aim is to re-commence grain exports from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, with the landmark agreement hoping to kickstart a safe route for goods to move from the region in order to mitigate a global food crisis that has seen prices surge. It has been reported that the overall value of the export deal is expected to amount to around $10 billion with around 20 million tonnes of produce expected to be shipped as another 16 ships are already waiting to depart, with applications now open for new vessels picking up grain in the hope of reaching full capacity within weeks.

We will keep you updated as the situation develops.