Several world-renowned companies have begun operating in Ukrainian ports or will begin doing so in the near future. This indicates that the Ukrainian port industry is becoming more attractive to international investors.

The director of the Center for Transport Strategies, Serhii Vovk, expressed this opinion during a speech at Ukrainian Ports Forum 2019, which took place in Odesa.

According to him, major players in the global maritime business are coming to Ukraine, which means that the Ukrainian port industry has good prospects for development.

According to him, if the participants in the forum spoke about development of opportunities last year, then we can already talk about the results today.

“I will name only a few of them. P&O Maritime, which is part of the global port operator DP World, has opened its business in Odesa. Korea-based Posco International, one of the world's largest agricultural traders, has acquired a terminal in Ukraine and is beginning operations as a port operator. I hope that their counterparts from Cargill and maybe some other companies that will emerge as the winners of the concession competitions in the ports of Kherson and Olvia will do the same in the near future," said Vovk.

“Ukraine needs good and successful business cases, and I hope that some of them will begin here in Odesa,” he added, while opening the forum, which was attended by key players in the Ukrainian port industry and representatives of the global port industry.

As reported, South Korean-based Posco International acquired a 75% stake in Orexim’s grain terminal in the Mykolaiv port in February this year. The new terminal, which has a one-time storage capacity of more than 140,000 tons, will be launched by the beginning of the next fiscal season. Its official commissioning is scheduled for July 16, 2019. The South Korean company intends to develop its logistical operations in Ukraine fully. In particular, it is not ruling out the option of creating its own railcar fleet in Ukraine.

P&O Maritime is a global port services operator established in Britain in 1834. P&O Maritime, which is 100% owned by the world's largest port operator, DP World Group, began providing towing services at the Yuzhny port in early 2018. Six months later, P&O Maritime Ukraine also began operation in the Chornomorsk port. P&O Maritime Ukraine performed its first towing operation in the Odesa port in May this year.

U.S.-based Cargill owns 50% of the MV Cargo terminal in the Yuzhny port. The official commissioning of the terminal is scheduled for September.