Grain exports hit by logistics crunch: Giurgiulești–Constanța freight rises to $43 per tonne
Moldovan grain and oilseed exporters are facing a logistics crunch: the Danube has fallen below the critical 4-metre level (3.99 m on 6 October), and attacks on ships in the Black Sea have pushed freight rates sharply higher. According to an analysis by expert Iurie Rija, farm-gate prices are now driven more by transport costs than by international exchanges.
Freight on the Giurgiulești–Constanța route rose to $43 per tonne, up from $20–30 at the end of August; on Reni–Constanța it climbed from $45 to $70. Road haulage became 12–17% more expensive in five weeks: a truck from Briceni to Giurgiulești now costs 950 lei/t (was 850), from Orhei 700 lei/t (was 600). Customs waits reach two days, and the port of Constanța is working at capacity.
Wheat is holding up at 3,500 lei/t in Giurgiulești (+200 lei vs August). Sunflower lost 500–600 lei/t in a month (8,300–8,600 lei in the north and centre), and rapeseed fell by about 400 lei to 10,000 lei/t in Giurgiulești.
What it means for you
- Farmers and traders should price in higher transport costs and longer delivery times.
- The expert expects logistics pressure to last at least until January–February 2027, so storage is worth planning early.
- Hauliers and warehouses can expect strong demand during the maize harvest.
Source: Mold-street, 07.10.2026