The disturbances in the Red Sea also affect the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. This is what Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture Mykola Solsky said. Solsky explains: “Part of our exports are gold and pass through the Red Sea to China, Asia and African countries.” According to him, ships on this route were “significantly delayed” this month.
The trade disruption comes at a time when Ukraine thought its grain exports, among other things, were back to normal. Due to the Russian invasion, it was not possible to export grain via the Black Sea for a long time. Last summer, Ukraine was able to send ships sailing along the coast of Romania and Bulgaria to the Bosphorus Strait. The Red Sea can then be reached via the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal.
Ships in the Red Sea have been at risk of bombing for several months by Yemen's Houthis, who have carried out attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians. To keep the shipping route safe, the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from the Netherlands and other countries, have carried out several attacks on Houthi military infrastructure since Friday. However, they don't allow themselves to stop yet.
These attacks represent a bitter pill for Ukrainian exports. Before the Russian invasion, the country traded about 6 million tons of food through the Black Sea almost every month. In December, exports reached 4.8 million tons. This month, Solsky expects exports to be lower than that.
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