Ukraine, one of the world's leading grain suppliers, has suspended shipments through its Black Sea ports amid an ongoing blockade of its harbors, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi said on Tuesday.
In a video statement, Vysotskyi said the halt had already taken effect in Odesa, a southern region that is home to the country's main grain terminals.
"As of today, no grain has been exported in Odesa Oblast, and [the relevant exports] have been suspended," he said.
Since August, Ukraine has been moving its harvest by rail, inland waterways and road, with rail and river transport carrying most of the volume, the minister said. The country needs to export at least 5 million tonnes a month, and 60 million tonnes a year, Vysotskyi said, but those three routes can handle only half of the required volume.
He added that any attempt to further expand the scale of overland exports would drive up transportation costs and make shipments unprofitable. In recent months, Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly attacked each other's targets in the Black Sea including strikes on harbors and cargo ships.
Reports said mutual attacks have brought grain exports from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov by both countries to a near standstill, with more than 97 percent of export capacity lost.
Ukraine suspends grain exports via Black Sea ports: minister
Ukraine suspends grain exports via Black Sea ports: minister
The World New Energy Vehicle Congress 2026 opened in Haikou City, south China's Hainan Province, on Tuesday, focusing on the global shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and the industry's resilient growth.
With rising EV ownership and a strong push to build a robust industry, Hainan hosted the Congress at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, bringing together global automakers, leading research institutions, and industry leaders to discuss technological innovation, supply chain security, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in vehicles. The event aims to shape the future development and cooperation within the NEV sector worldwide.
This year's Congress features a main forum, ten thematic sessions, three private talks, and six concurrent events. Discussions center on goals such as reaching a 50 percent global market share for NEVs by 2035, driving innovation-led growth, and promoting global partnerships, especially in connection with the Hainan Free Trade Port.
A senior official from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said at the Congress that the global NEV market is booming, with the latest data showing that NEVs now account for more than 25 percent of global vehicle sales.
"We should respect the objective laws of the automotive industry that efficiency gains come through global division of labor and cooperation. We oppose protectionism and unilateralism, and we should jointly build fair, non-discriminatory and predictable trade rules, and jointly safeguard an open, stable and mutually beneficial economic and trade order," said Guo Shougang, director general of the Ministry's First Equipment Industry Department, in his speech.
"The event attracts global automakers, testing institutions, and scientific research resources to gather, building a platform for international joint R and D and benchmark testing," said Zhou Hua, deputy general manager of China Automotive Tech and Research Center Co. Ltd.
Industry officials pointed to Hainan's lead in this national transformation. The province, which is at the forefront of China's green transport transition, is building a clean energy island through green transportation projects and new industry platform unveilings during the event.
"The province's NEV penetration rate has stayed high, with three in four new cars sold in August being NEVs. Green travel demand is strong, and NEVs are now the main driver of car sales growth. The province has over 310,000 charging piles and more than 110 battery swap stations," said Yu Huan, deputy division director of the NEV Development and Supervision Division, Department of Industry and Information Technology of Hainan Province.
The Congress will run for three days and will open to the public on Thursday.
World New Energy Vehicle Congress 2026 opens in Hainan
