Ukraine follows Russia’s shift towards Baltic ports for grain exports

Ukraine is exploring the use of Baltic Sea ports for grain exports, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday, following a similar move by Russia as both sides seek alternatives to Black Sea routes disrupted by their war.Sources have told Reuters that Russian companies are repurposing fertiliser, coal, and other cargo terminals at the country's Baltic and Arctic ports to handle grain exports after Ukrainian drone attacks disrupted shipments through the Black Sea.Most Ukrainian cargo, including grain, has been rerouted through the country's three Danube river ports after Russian attacks effectively blocked its Black Sea ports, which previously handled 90 per cent of exports.But this adds about $50 per tonne in logistics costs, making Ukrainian grain uncompetitive, and has created bottlenecks..High cost, difficult logistics"Baltic ports could potentially handle exports of up to 20 million tonnes of grain," Ukraine's agriculture ministry said in a statement after a meeting between the Ukrainian and…