en.Wedoany.com Reported - Ukraine is in talks with the Republic of Moldova to establish a rail grain export corridor via Moldova to Romania's Constanța port, as an alternative to Black Sea maritime transport disrupted by attacks. Ukraine has requested that Chișinău reduce standard rail transit tariffs by 50%, but the two sides have yet to reach an agreement.
A source from Moldova's state-owned railway operator, Calea Ferată din Moldova (CFM), confirmed the tariff reduction request. Moldova's condition is that Ukraine must guarantee a certain volume of grain transported through its territory. The two sides are currently discussing the corridor's operational timeline and the volume of cargo that could be transshipped through Moldova to Constanța port.
The source said Ukraine is collecting information on cargo volumes that shippers intend to transport via this route. Oleg Tofilat, former head of Moldova's railway company, estimates the rail corridor could transport up to 4.5 million tons of grain annually; Ukraine estimates that, at full capacity, the route could handle approximately 10% of its export volume. Moldova already had a precedent of Ukrainian grain rail transit during 2022–2023.
The need for a new land route is directly linked to Russia's intensified attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port infrastructure. Ukrainian ports and merchant vessels have become increasingly frequent targets, particularly affecting shipments via the maritime corridor leading to Romania. Ukraine's Agriculture Minister, Taras Vysotskyi, stated that due to port attacks, the grain export forecast for the 2026–2027 season has been revised down from the previous 43 million tons to 38–40 million tons. Analysts at APK-Inform have also lowered their estimate by 8.6% to 39.4 million tons. Over 90% of Ukraine's grain exports typically move through seaports, and agricultural products account for the largest share of Ukraine's exports—a situation of critical importance to the country's economy.
In parallel with tariff negotiations, the two countries are also discussing rail infrastructure capacity. Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolea, traveled to the Odesa region on Monday, with discussions focusing on improving rail connections and expanding transit traffic possibilities. Bolea continues to oversee infrastructure affairs in the current government.
For the Republic of Moldova, this corridor is also seen as a potential source of revenue. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan stated that the country should not miss the opportunity to earn millions of euros from Ukrainian grain transit, and dismissed concerns from some Moldovan farmer organizations that Ukrainian goods could depress local prices. Tofan's government was sworn in in July 2026.
If the negotiations yield results, the Constanța port could see new flows of Ukrainian grain transported by rail through the Republic of Moldova, alongside the maritime routes and other land corridors Ukraine uses to sustain its exports.
