Over 36 million metric tons of goods have been shipped through Ukraine's Black Sea corridor since its opening in August 2023, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on April 6.
According to Kubrakov, Ukraine's corridor has already facilitated shipments of more goods than the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022.
As Russia effectively canceled the grain deal in July 2023, Ukraine opened a new corridor the following month. Initially envisioned as a humanitarian corridor to allow the departure of ships stranded there since the start of the full-scale war, it has since grown into a full-blown trade route.
Since August 2023, 1,286 vessels have passed the corridor, exporting 25 million metric tons of agricultural products to Asia, Africa, and Europe, Kubrakov noted.
At the moment, 135 cargo vessels are waiting to enter ports in and around Odesa. They are expected to export 4 million metric tons of cargo.
"The ministry's team is working hard to ensure stable exports by the sea reach pre-war (export levels)," Kubrakov said.
Dominic Culverwell
