The shipment was reportedly refused in Lebanon due to a five-month delay in delivery, Bloomberg reports.
The first cargo of grain to leave Ukraine’s newly reopened ports was rejected by a buyer in Lebanon due to a five-month shipping delay, Bloomberg reported Monday.
According to the outlet, citing the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut, the Sierra Leone-flagged vessel, the Razoni, which was loaded with some 26,500 tons of corn, is currently in the Mediterranean.
The Lebanese government is reportedly not involved in the shipment as the cargo was destined for the private sector.
A new buyer for the grain is being sought in Lebanon or elsewhere, according to the Ukrainian embassy. The ship’s destination changed on Sunday from Tripoli to “waiting for orders” ship tracking data displayed.
The Razoni was the first civilian freighter to transport Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea in months. Regular shipments were blocked amid hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, who blamed each other for the disruption.
An agreement was brokered between Russia and Ukraine last month to restart seaborne exports with the help of Turkey and the UN. Turkey also hosts a special center to coordinate shipping under the deal, which includes representatives from Moscow and kyiv. Their job is to inspect vessels to prevent arms smuggling into or out of the conflict zone.