A significant accumulation of railcars carrying Moldovan grain has developed at the Port of Reni. According to the Agrocereale Grain Exporters Association, 83 CFM railcars belonging to just two member companies have been unable to unload for almost a month. As of September 9, accumulated demurrage charges had reached approximately $40,500 and continued to increase. The association estimates that more than 100 CFM grain railcars in total could be affected by similar delays at Reni.
The main reason for the disruption is security risks in southern Ukraine. Some shipowners are refusing to send vessels to Reni or are redirecting them to other ports. Without a vessel at the berth, grain cannot be unloaded from the railcars, while there is currently no quick alternative for some of the affected cargoes. As a result, rolling stock remains immobilised while usage charges continue to accumulate.
On September 11, Agrocereale formally appealed to Moldovan Railways (CFM), proposing a review of the mechanism used to calculate railcar demurrage charges. The association is not requesting a complete cancellation of payments. Instead, it proposes distinguishing between delays caused by operators and those resulting from external circumstances beyond exporters’ control. Possible solutions include documenting the causes of delays, deferring payments or partially adjusting charges.
The problem affects more than individual grain traders. Keeping dozens of railcars out of circulation for extended periods reduces the number of CFM wagons available for other shipments, while unpredictable additional costs make the Danube export route less economically attractive. The situation at Reni demonstrates how security risks can affect the entire logistics chain — from vessel calls at ports to railcar turnover and the final cost of grain exports.