Constanța Port Faces Logistical Bottleneck Amid Low Water Levels

The Romanian port of Constanța is facing increasing pressure due to extremely low water levels on the Danube and Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports. This is complicating grain exports from Ukraine, which is trying to find alternative options.

Low water levels on the Danube have led to a record-low level of cargo capacity for barges, forcing them to operate below their normal capacity. This increases transport times, creates congestion, and pushes freight costs higher.

The effects are already being felt by farmers and traders, with reports of shortages of trucks and sharply higher transportation costs. The port of Constanța itself still has room to handle additional Ukrainian cargo, but the logistics network feeding the port is the main bottleneck.