Romanian PM Aims for Majority Share of Ukrainian Grain Exports

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu hopes that approximately 60% of Ukraine's grain exports will transit through Romania after Russia withdrew from a U.N.-brokered safe passage deal through the Black Sea. Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta has already become Ukraine's largest alternative shipping route, with 8.1 million tonnes of grain shipped through it in the first seven months of this year. Romania is working to improve its connecting infrastructure and aims to double the monthly transit capacity of Ukrainian grain to Constanta to 4 million tonnes in the coming months. However, Romania also aims to protect its local farmers and balance efforts to boost Ukrainian grain transit with temporary trade restrictions.