Ukraine Sees Rapid Inspection Key to Black Sea Grain Deal

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was established to reintroduce vital Ukrainian food and fertiliser exports to the rest of the world. This initiative permits commercial food exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports: Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.

Ukraine is a major global grain producer and exporter, but output and exports have declined since Russia invaded the country in February and began blocking its seaports. Three major Ukrainian Black Sea ports in the Odesa region were unblocked in July as part of a UN-brokered initiative between Moscow and Kyiv.

Under the terms of the agreement, all ships in the Bosphorus are inspected by joint teams. Ukraine accuses Russia of conducting the inspections too slowly, causing weeks of delays for ships and reducing Ukrainian grain supply to foreign markets. Russia has denied that it is slowing the process.

"Ukraine is concentrating on normalizing inspections rather than opening new ports," said a senior Ukrainian official. In reference to a port not included in the agreement, the official stated, "Why open the port of Mykolaiv if at the current rate of exports we can close half of Odesa's already open ports?"

Ukraine exported approximately 7 million tonnes of agricultural products in September and October, and 6 million in November, before falling precipitously to less than 4 million in December.

Kyiv blames the drop on a slowdown in inspections. According to Ukraine's infrastructure ministry, no new vessels are expected to arrive in Ukraine for loading as of Tuesday.

It stated that 94 vessels were awaiting inspection in the Bosphorus, including 69 empty vessels for loading and 25 that were already loaded with agricultural products. According to the ministry, vessels are waiting for an average of more than a month.