Reopening of Mykolaiv ports will make logistics cheaper for exporters

The resumption of the full-fledged operation of Mykolaiv ports – Mykolaiv and Olvia – can reduce the cost of logistics for domestic exporters and significantly enhance Ukraine’s export potential.

Mykolaiv ports have been blocked since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The enemy is close to the Buzka-Dnipro-Liman Canal (BDLC) on the captured Kinburn Spit, and controls the access to the sea. According to Yuriy Lytvyn, the head of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, these ports are ready to resume operations, but the military is not allowing them to start up for security reasons.

Restoring the full operation of this logistics route could have a significant impact on the competitiveness of Ukrainian exporters. In particular, it could improve the logistics of agricultural products, as Mykolaiv port was a leader among Ukrainian seaports in transshipment of such cargo before the Great War.

At the same time, the operation of the region’s ports could also facilitate the export of metallurgical goods. In 2021, operators of terminals in Mykolaiv’s waters transshipped 1.7 million tons of rolled metal, 1.2 million tons of pig iron, and 5 million tons of ore.