“Photo UA.depositphotos.comat “Ukrzaliznytsia” establishes unequal conditions for different ports, and this has signs of abuse of monopoly position, limits competition and contradicts the principles of equal access to …”, – WRITE: www.unian.ua
Photo UNIANUkrzaliznytsya JSC establishes unequal conditions for different ports, and this has signs of abuse of monopoly position, limits competition and contradicts the principles of equal access to infrastructure. This is stated in a letter written by the operators of the ports of Odessa and the Black Sea head of the Ministry of Development Alexei Kulebi, and called him not supported by this initiative of the monopolist.
As stated in the letter, after changes to the plan of train formation and reduction of tariff distances from April 5, 2025 for routes to the port “Southern”, the cost of transportation to the ports “Odesa” and “Chernomorsk” increased by $ 2-2.6 per tonne, and after the probable indexing of tariffs.
“This creates artificially unequal competitive conditions for conducting export-import activities in the seaports” Chernomorsk “and” Odesa “, which makes them uncompetitive compared to the port” Southern “,” operators emphasized.
The letter emphasizes that all three ports – South, Odesa and Chernomorsk – are located nearby. But Ukrzaliznytsia deliberately composes longer routes to Odessa and the Black Sea, and thus artificially healthy logistics.
“Exporters have already reported that they plan to minimize cooperation with these ports in the 2025/26 season. We believe that the establishment of unequal conditions by Ukrzaliznytsia has signs of abuse of monopoly, limits competition and contrary to the principles of equal access to infrastructure,” the market participants emphasized.
They urged Minister Kulebo and Ukrzaliznytsia’s management to revise the tariff policy and equalize the conditions for ports, by analogy with world practice. As an example, they cited the US – there tariffs for railway transport to Pacific ports are unified, despite the difference in routes of hundreds of kilometers.
Earlier, the Federation of Employers of Transport of Ukraine (FRTU) also stated that the introduction of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC increasing coefficients to rail tariffs, depending on the direction, is in fact a form of selective discrimination, which creates artificial inequality between consumers of railway services and contradicts the fundamental development.