Maersk launches container service between Chornomorsk and Constanta

Maersk has launched a container service between the ports of Chornomorsk in Ukraine and Constanta in Romania in cooperation with Ukrainian feeder operator Iteris. The service uses a vessel with a capacity of more than 1,100 TEU to connect the deep-water port of Chornomorsk with the container terminal in Constanta. This is the first deep-water container service in Ukraine after 22 February 2022. Earlier, major carriers stopped working due to the Russian invasion, according to Loadstar.

Traffic volumes are set to double in the coming months as more shipping lines join the service. With the additional ships, it is possible that the service will bypass Romania and head directly to Ukraine from Egypt and Turkey, as it did before the war.

Iteris and Maersk had also been working on barge services between the ports of Reni and Constanta, but the launch of the new deepwater service led to the cancellation of feeder services. The last barge was scheduled for 15 June.

At the same time, Turkish shipping company Akkon launched a feeder service to Chornomorsk with its own vessels. Akkon will be the only carrier to provide its own vessels to serve the port, which may give them a certain advantage.

Since the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian ports have been cut off from global carriers. Hapag-Lloyd is now re-establishing a liner service between Romania and Ukraine with Iteris Feeders. Initially, small feeder vessels with a capacity of around 1,100 containers will be running between the two countries. Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk chose the port of Chornomorsk instead of Odesa due to security risks.

After more than 800 days of blockade, the route to Ukraine has been reopened, mainly for the transport of agricultural products. Over the past two years, Ukraine's exports have been mainly by rail and truck.