Ukraine Shifts Danube Vessel Clearance to Black Sea to Cut Two-Week Queue

Authorities have changed how vessels bound for Ukraine's Danube ports are processed through the Sulina Canal, moving clearance checks to the Black Sea before ships enter the waterway instead of handling them inside it. The shift is intended to break up a queue that has left dozens of vessels waiting more than two weeks to pass.

The buildup stems from bureaucratic procedures, a shortage of pilots and a sharp rise in traffic, according to shippers. Clearing ships earlier in their journey is expected to let more of them enter the canal during daylight hours, free them from dependence on berths at Sulina and reduce waiting and unnecessary manoeuvring, said Katerina Kononenko, operations manager at Avalon Shipping.

The Danube route has become the main outlet for Ukrainian cargo, including grain, after Russian attacks effectively shut the country's Black Sea ports, which had previously carried 90% of exports. Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain exporters, and its three Danube river ports are seen by authorities as capable of shipping at least 500,000 tonnes of grain a month.

Congestion has weighed heavily on delivery times. Shippers said this month that long waits to enter the Danube and return to the Black Sea had stretched grain deliveries from Ukraine to Egypt, a major importer, to more than a month from 12 days, threatening profitability.

Consultancy ASAP Agri said this week that coaster freight rates for grain shipments from Ukraine's Danube ports had stabilised at about $100 per tonne for deliveries to Egyptian ports. Rates stood at roughly $105 per tonne on September 11, compared with $30 on July 11, when Ukraine's Black Sea ports were still operating.

Official data show Ukraine has exported about 930,000 tonnes of grain so far in September, down from 1.78 million tonnes in the same period of September 2025.