At a regular session of the Reni City Council, the deputies unanimously approved a formal appeal to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the difficult economic situation facing the Reni port following Romania’s acquisition of the Giurgiulești port. The draft resolution was supported by all 19 council members. The document was provided to Bessarabia Inform by Reni City Council deputy Valentina Yepitrop.
The appeal states that the deputies of the Reni City Council are concerned about the situation surrounding the operation of Reni port. The council emphasizes the importance of finding solutions, as the economic stability of not only the Reni community but the entire Danube region depends on it.
Since the start of the full-scale war and the blockade of deep-sea ports, cargo handling volumes have significantly increased in Danube region ports, particularly in Reni. By the end of 2023, the state enterprise recorded a historic performance for the entire period of Ukraine’s independence: cargo throughput reached 10.1 million tons, and the number of ship calls increased to 3,059 per year. Reni port thus became a key element of the country’s logistics system and an important alternative route for exporting Ukrainian products, primarily grains and oilseeds, as well as for importing various types of cargo, including food products, containerized goods, oil, and petroleum products.
Since November 2023, following the start of the “grain corridor,” a significant portion of cargo flows shifted to the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi, leading to a noticeable reduction in throughput at Reni port. This trend continues, resulting in further loss of a substantial share of cargo.
The main reason for this is that Reni port is currently the most expensive for ship entry in terms of mandatory state fees compared to the Izmail port and foreign competitor ports—Giurgiulești, Galați, and Brăila.
At the same time, the Moldovan government amended legislation for the Giurgiulești International Free Port, granting it the status of a strategic port infrastructure facility of the republic.
It should be recalled that the Romanian government officially announced the acquisition of the full share package of Danube Logistics, the operator of the Moldovan Giurgiulești port. The shares were purchased from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Moldova’s Ministry of Economy confirmed the legality of the transaction, emphasizing that it concerns only the private port operator Danube Logistics, without transferring state-owned land.
According to the Reni City Council’s appeal, the new owner has declared intentions to make long-term investments aimed at modernizing infrastructure, expanding port capacity, improving services for operators, and integrating the port into the commercial-logistics network of the Constanța port.
This situation poses a significant threat to the future and competitiveness of Reni port. Therefore, the deputies request that the highest authorities of Ukraine take the following measures:
- Cancel unjustified fees for ships transiting the Izmail seaport waterway en route to/from Reni port.
- Provide pilotage services from 44 miles on the Danube (Chatal shoal) to Reni port with a single pilot on board.
- Optimize cargo flow routes to the port.
- Coordinate with Moldova on tariff policy and rail transit conditions to Reni port.
- Resolve legal contradictions regarding the allocation of a 94.3629-hectare land plot, owned by the state enterprise for permanent use, to attract investment.
“We believe that resolving these issues—including improving port fee mechanisms, optimizing ship pilotage, developing interstate solutions for cargo transit, and eliminating existing legal conflicts in land use at the port—aligns with the objectives of state policy in the development of seaports and transport infrastructure. Implementing these measures will ensure the proper functioning of Reni port as a strategic element of the Danube transport-logistics corridor, increase efficiency in the use of its infrastructure, attract investment in port development, and strengthen Ukraine’s export-logistics capabilities,” the Reni City Council resolution emphasizes.
