Polish port of Świnoujście has sent the first 30,000 tons of Ukrainian iron ore

The first ship with 30,000 tons of Ukrainian iron ore left the port of Świnoujście, a press release on the port administration website reads.

The raw materials were delivered to the port by rail, loaded into the Gurnikov dock and sent to the customer in Algeria.

In addition, as noted by the head of the port Karol Bowżyk, now in the port warehouses are more than 50 thousand tons of ore of Ukrainian origin.

“Taking into account the concluded commercial contracts with partners from Ukraine, we are preparing to handle the increased cargo weight, among others implementing the investment program including the preparation of storage yards and the purchase of mechanized equipment,» he added.

After Russia’s invasion of the territory of Ukraine, domestic steel plants reduced export of production to a minimum level because of blockade of seaports.

Ukraine’s Metinvest Group is looking for a new supply chain and the development of new products, as the county’s sea trade routes are blocked by the Russian army. Some attempts to build logistics through the ports of Baltic sea and Romania have already been made.

In early May, Ukrainian iron ore exports through the Romanian port of Constanta started. Cargo operator Comvex shipped about 35,000 tons of iron ore from Ukraine.

Romania also plans to start repairing the 1520 mm wide railway from the port city of Galati to the Moldovan border in Giurgiu. It will connect the port of Reni in the south of Odesa with other Danube ports. This railway line will allow transporting goods to and from Ukraine via Moldova and the port of Galati.

Earlier GMK Center reported that in January-April Ukraine reduced exports of iron ore and iron ore concentrates by 8.6% compared to the same period in 2020, to 12.98 million tons. In monetary terms, iron ore exports fell by 32.8% in four months, to $1.58 billion.