Ukraine's first grain cargo ship rejected by buyers after grain export agreement signed

Under the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement last month to resume  Ukrainian grain exports  by sea. On August 1, for the first time since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a grain ship departed from the port of Odessa to Lebanon. But the latest news shows that the cargo on board was rejected by buyers.

According to Reuters, the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon revealed on Monday local time that buyers refused to take delivery of the first grain ship RAZONI to leave Ukraine due to delays in deliveries of more than five months, the ambassador said. "According to the information provided by the shipper of Ukrainian grain on the 'Lazzoni', the Lebanese buyer refused to accept the goods, citing delays in the delivery. Therefore, the shipper is now looking for another A consignee for unloading in Tripoli, Lebanon or any other country port."

Last week, the "Lazzoni" left Odessa with 26,527 tons of corn. The vessel was due to arrive in Lebanon last Sunday, but has changed its destination to the Turkish port of Mersin and is currently anchored off Turkey's southern coast, according to Refinitiv Ship Tracker data.

Citing data from the Turkish Defense Ministry, Reuters reported that since the first grain ship set off from Odessa on August 1, seven ships have so far removed about 243,000 tons of corn from Ukraine.

On July 22, representatives of Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations held an agreement signing ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, on the issue of exporting agricultural products from Black Sea ports. Representatives of Russia and Ukraine did not sign the agreement directly face to face, but signed relevant documents with representatives of Turkey and the United Nations respectively. The content of the agreement includes: establishing a joint coordination center in Istanbul and ensuring the safety of food transportation, Russia and Ukraine agree that neither side will attack the ships carrying agricultural products, and the Istanbul joint coordination center will be assigned representatives by all parties to jointly manage the ships entering and leaving the port, including the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Three Ukrainian ports, including Desa Port, will begin to export grain and fertilizers.