BUCHAREST, ROMANIA — The Port of Constanta in Romania reported record grain exports in 2023 due in part to a surge in shipments from Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing the port authority.

The port, located on the Black Sea, exported 36 million tonnes of grain last year, an increase of 50% year-on-year, the port authority told Reuters. It noted that Ukraine accounted for 14 million tonnes, or nearly 40% of the record total.

The Romanian government, which signed an agreement in August to boost Ukraine’s grain exports through Romanian ports, has stated that it plans to increase export capacity for Ukrainian grain to 4 million tonnes per month.

Ukraine has looked for any possible means to export its agricultural goods since Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2023. For nearly a year, the grain deal had allowed safe passage for Ukrainian shipments of grain on the Black Sea.

After it withdrew from the agreement, Russia began bombing Ukrainian grain assets in the country’s Black Sea ports and on the Danube River. Since then, Ukraine has created a shipping corridor that runs along the coastline near Romania and Bulgaria, enabling it to export about 10 million tonnes of agricultural products since August, according to the Ukrainian government.