Ukraine's Grain Exports Face Transport Infrastructure Constraints

In July, Ukraine exported a total of 3.55 million tons of agricultural products, including corn, wheat, barley, sunflower oil, soybeans, and their meal derivatives.

The country's grain export capacity is limited by the transport infrastructure, with only 12% of total wagon arrivals at western border crossings consisting of cereals, vegetable oils, and meals in July. The main cargo flow consisted of ore, metal structures, cement, containers, and critical import cargoes.

279.2 thousand tons of agricultural products were exported through road checkpoints in July, mainly high-value goods such as poultry meat, sunflower oil, ethyl alcohol, sugar, soybean meal, and soybean oil. However, market participants do not consider road transportation a viable means for mass grain export.

The rail transport of grain cargo decreased by 30.2% to 1.89 million tons in July compared to the previous month, but increased by 82.3% compared to the same period last year. The average daily load was 51.5 thousand tons, which is 40% lower than June and 36% higher than July 2025.

88% of grain cargo was exported through seaports in July, while only 12% went through land border crossings. However, the western border remains the main export route for vegetable oils and meals.