Odesa Business Intel

The Danube river export route — comprising the Izmail, Reni, and Kiliya ports on Ukraine's southwestern border with Romania — handled 12% of Ukraine's total grain exports in Q1 2026, according to the Ukrainian Grain Association. The share represents a record high for the Danube corridor and a tripling from the 4% share recorded in 2022, before Russia's full-scale invasion began. In absolute terms, the Danube route exported approximately 5.8 million tonnes of grain in Q1 2026, compared to 1.6 million tonnes in Q1 2022. The growth reflects sustained investment in Danube port infrastructure, increased barge fleet capacity, and the establishment of onward rail connections to Romanian Black Sea ports at Constanța. ## Romanian transit connection A significant portion of grain exiting Ukraine via the Danube continues onward through Romanian territory to the port of Constanța, which has the deepest-draft berths in the Black Sea region and established connections to global shipping lanes. The Romanian government has expanded Danube transit capacity through infrastructure investments co-funded by the EU.