Russia shifts steel exports to Baltic ports from Black Sea in 2026

Russian semifinished steel export flows have increasingly shifted away from the Black Sea toward Baltic ports in 2026, as disruptions to traditional southern export routes reshape shipment patterns and tighten the availability of Black Sea-origin material.

There were no Black Sea steel loadings in either September or October, compared with 468,070 metric tons and 370,994 mt, respectively, loaded from Baltic ports. The Black Sea region had already seen a sharp decline in August, when loadings fell to 94,939 mt across three voyages, while Baltic ports handled 341,399 mt across 10 voyages, S&P Global Commodities at Sea(opens in a new tab) data showed.

The shift marks a significant departure from historical trade patterns. In 2025, Black Sea ports handled 5.687 million mt compared with 6.516 million mt through the Baltic, giving the Baltic a 53.4% share of combined volumes. In the available 2026 data, Black Sea loadings total 1.754 million mt compared with 4.335 million mt through Baltic ports, raising the Baltic share to 71.2%, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Global Trade Analytics Suite data.

The divergence became particularly pronounced from the second quarter. Black Sea shipments fell from 346,109 mt in March to 188,291 mt in April and 96,879 mt in May. Following a partial recovery to 219,286 mt in July, volumes dropped back to 94,939 mt in August before falling to zero in September and October. By contrast, Baltic ports maintained shipments of 468,070 mt in September and 370,994 mt in October, the GTAS data showed.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →