Reading Time: 1 minute Recent legislation has raised the stakes in a decade-long battle between the railways and Canadian grain shippers over the interswitching radius. Interswitching refers to a regulation to ensure shippers located where only a single railway operates can access points that are not served by that railway. The issue is especially concerning for Canadian grain shippers […] Read more
Preview: Railways, grain shippers at loggerheads over interswitching
Pilot to test expanded radius deemed unnecessary by both sides
UN scrambles to save Black Sea deal ahead of Monday deadline
Russia says has not yet taken final decision
Reading Time: 3 minutes United Nations | Reuters — The European Commission is helping the United Nations and Turkey try to extend a deal allowing the Black Sea export of Ukraine grain and is open to “explore all solutions,” a European Union spokesperson said on Thursday, ahead of the deal’s possible expiration on Monday. The U.N. and Turkey brokered […] Read more
UN asks Putin to extend Black Sea grain deal in return for SWIFT access
Grain export initiative to expire Monday otherwise
Reading Time: 2 minutes United Nations | Reuters — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he extend a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia’s agricultural bank to the SWIFT international payment system, sources told Reuters. Russia has threatened to ditch […] Read more
Thunder Bay grain shipments up on year
Less potash moved so far this year
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Grain shipments through the Port of Thunder Bay are running well ahead of the previous year’s pace, according to updated data from the Lake Superior facility. Grain shipments through the end of June of about 2.5 million tonnes were up by 760,000 from the same point the previous year. Monthly shipments in June […] Read more
Russia rejects bank compromise as Black Sea grain deal expiry looms
Collapse of deal could aggravate global food crisis
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Russia on Tuesday restated a demand for its state agricultural bank to be reconnected to the global SWIFT payments system to avert the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal, and said it would not accept a reported compromise proposal. With 13 days remaining until the expiry of the deal, which has allowed […] Read more
EU seen weighing concession to Russian bank over Black Sea deal
New arm of ag bank could connect to SWIFT
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — The European Union is considering a proposal for the Russian Agricultural Bank to set up a subsidiary to reconnect to the global financial network as a sop to Moscow, the Financial Times said on Monday. With the bank under sanctions, the move aims to safeguard the Black Sea grain deal that allows Ukraine […] Read more
Ukraine ‘99.9 per cent’ certain Russia will quit Black Sea deal next month
Russia wants demands met on ammonia shipments
Reading Time: 2 minutes Kyiv | Reuters — Russia is 99.9 per cent certain to quit a U.N.-brokered deal on the safe wartime passage of Black Sea grain next month because it no longer needs Ukrainian ports to export ammonia, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Moscow and […] Read more
Black Sea grain shipments shrink amid Ukraine deal doubts, Cargill exec says
'Grey/black' fleet seen handling more Russian traffic
Reading Time: 2 minutes London | Reuters — South American grain exports are set to overshadow Black Sea shipments this year as doubts grow over a U.N.-backed Ukraine deal and international traders cut commercial activities in Russia, a top executive with major commodities group Cargill said. The Black Sea grain deal, which allows the safe passage of grains through […] Read more
Ukraine says Russia again blocking Black Sea grain export deal
Russia seeks ammonia transit via Pivdennyi
Reading Time: 2 minutes Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine’s ministry of renovation and infrastructure said on Thursday the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain export deal had been halted again because Russia had blocked registration of ships to all Ukrainian ports. A U.N. spokesman said Russia had informed officials overseeing the initiative that Moscow would limit registrations to the port of […] Read more
Black Sea grain deal slow to get moving after extension
Ukraine says Russia has effectively frozen out one port
Reading Time: 2 minutes United Nations | Reuters — A deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilizer from Ukrainian Black Sea ports has not yet resumed full operations, the United Nations said on Friday, having come to a halt before Russia’s decision last week to extend it. The pact called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
