Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade

Turkey is racing to broker a safe-passage deal for merchant vessels in the Black Sea after attacks on shipping disrupted grain exports and raised supply concerns.

Reaction pending.

Ankara seeks safe-passage guarantees

Officials said Ankara has begun outreach to coastal states and commercial interests to restore secure corridors for cargo ships, aiming to prevent further interruptions to shipments from Russia and Ukraine, two of the world’s largest wheat exporters.

Data showed Black Sea trade has been severely disrupted as both sides stepped up strikes on shipping and port infrastructure, officials said. That has reduced available tonnage and complicated routing, with traders reporting higher insurance and rerouting costs.

Market participants said the immediate mechanism lifting pressure on supplies would be a credible, verifiable guarantee of safe transit for bulk carriers and tankers. Without such a corridor, exporters must use longer routes or switch to overland alternatives, adding time and cost and tightening immediate availability in grain hubs.

If Ankara convenes talks within days, officials said a corridor agreement could be reached quickly enough to permit a phased resumption of shipments. If no agreement materializes by September 13, traders warned that tighter near-term supply and elevated freight and insurance costs would likely sustain upward pressure on prices.