Trade

Reuters writer Michelle Nichols reported yesterday that, “Russia on Tuesday questioned a U.N.-brokered deal with Ukraine to boost grain and fertilizer exports by both countries, accusing Western states of failing to honor pledges to help facilitate Moscow’s shipments.”

Reuters writer Aleksandar Vasovic reported earlier this week that, “Ukraine said it had dispatched its biggest convoy of grain vessels under a U.N.-brokered deal so far after 13 ships set sail from its ports on Sunday carrying 282,500 tonnes of agricultural products to foreign markets.”

On Tuesday, the USDA released its Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, a quarterly report from the Department’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Economic Research Service (ERS).  Today’s update includes highlights from the report, which was coordinated by Bart Kenner, Hui Jiang, and Dylan Russell.

Wall Street Journal writers Isabel Coles and Jared Malsin reported on Saturday that, “Exports of grain from Ukraine’s southern ports have surpassed one million metric tons under a United Nations-brokered deal with Russia that has held up for nearly one month even as hostilities rage elsewhere in the country.”

Reuters writers Pavel Polityuk and Jonathan Spicer reported today that, “A total of 33 cargo ships carrying around 719,549 tonnes of foodstuffs have left Ukraine under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to unblock Ukrainian sea ports, the Ukrainian agriculture ministry said on Tuesday.”

Bloomberg writers Elizabeth Elkin and Megan Durisin reported yesterday that, “Ukrainian grain flows are pushing down global prices as the newly opened crop-export corridor shows initial success.”

William Mauldin and Jared Malsin reported in today’s Wall Street Journal that, “The U.S. Agency for International Development is spending more than $68 million to purchase and ship Ukrainian grain in the largest such export deal since Russia’s invasion this year and the start of a July agreement to allow for renewed shipments from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.”

Jared Malsin reported in today’s Wall Street Journal that, “An international agreement to restore Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports is showing early progress, with 18 ships moving to and from ports in Odessa nearly six months after Russia’s invasion bottled up a chunk of the world’s agricultural products.”

Nabih Bulos reported on the front page of today’s Los Angeles Times that, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended the workings of what before the war was the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter.”

New York Times writer Emma Bubola reported yesterday that, “The biggest caravan of ships carrying grain and other agricultural products since the beginning of the Russian invasion has sailed from Ukrainian ports on Sunday, heading to Europe, Asia and the Middle East through the mined waters of the Black Sea.”

Bloomberg writer Aine Quinn reported today that, “Global food prices fell the most since 2008 after concerns over supplies of grains and vegetable oils eased as Ukraine moved toward restarting exports.”

Financial Times writers Laura Pitel and Felicia Schwartz reported yesterday that, “The first grain ship to set sail from Ukraine in months was cleared to embark on the final leg of its journey after passing an inspection by a team of international monitors in Turkish waters.”

Financial Times writers Mehul Srivastava, Laura Pitel, Harry Dempsey and Emiko Terazono reported yesterday that, “Ukraine’s infrastructure minister has warned it will take months before grain exports from Odesa and neighbouring ports reach prewar levels and alleviate the global food crisis despite the relaxation of a Russian blockade in the Black Sea.”

Dalton Bennett and Kareem Fahim reported on the front page of today’s Washington Post that, “The first ship carrying grain departed a Ukrainian port early Monday under a United Nations-brokered deal to ease a global food crisis sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Reuters writer Natalia Zinets reported today that, “A ship carrying grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon on Monday under a safe passage agreement, Ukrainian and Turkish officials said, the first departure since the Russian invasion blocked shipping through the Black Sea five months ago.”

Reuters writer Michelle Nichols reported yesterday that, “U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Thursday he was hopeful that the first shipment of grain from a Ukrainian Black Sea port could take place as early as Friday, but ‘crucial’ details for the safe passage of vessels were still being worked out.”

Bloomberg writers Megan Durisin and Archie Hunter reported earlier this week that, “Now that Ukraine’s grain-export deal has been signed, all eyes are on clearing a major obstacle: freeing the scores of ships stuck there since February.”

Financial Times writers Mark Raczkiewycz and Polina Ivanova reported yesterday that, “Ukraine hopes to start implementing a deal to export millions of tonnes of grain from blockaded Black Sea ports as soon as this week, even after Russian missile strikes hit the key Ukrainian port city of Odesa and threatened to unravel the agreement.”

Ellen Francis, Kareem Fahim and Claire Parker reported on the front page of Sunday’s Washington Post that, “Russian missiles hit the Black Sea port of Odessa on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, imperiling a deal Moscow and Kyiv reached a day earlier to allow shipment of millions of tons of trapped grain and ease a global food crisis.”

Reuters writers Ezgi Erkoyun, Ece Toksabay and Max Hunder reported on Friday that, “Russia and Ukraine signed a landmark deal on Friday to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports, raising hopes that an international food crisis aggravated by the Russian invasion can be eased.”