The sea port blockade limited the export of Ukriane’s most valuable goods.

The NYT emphasized that the blocked exports of steel, grain, fertilizer, and other goods created food shortages, raised prices, and contributed to global insecurity.

The newspaper noted that the UN-brokered agreement allowed the export of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil from Ukraine, increasing the world’s food supply and strengthening the country’s economy during the war.

However, the iron ore and steel supply by sea, usually exported by large cargo ships, has completely stopped. Instead, products must be exported by rail, and this logistical alternative is much more expensive and complicated. In addition, much of the coal used to power blast furnaces is now under Russian control or mined near the front lines.

Therefore, steel production in the country, which in 2021 ranked ninth in the world, fell by 70% in 2022.