Sulina Canal Tariffs Revised for 2026: Implications for Danube Shipping

The administration of the Sulina Canal has published the tariff schedule for vessel transit in 2026. The update was reported by Kateryna Kononenko, Operations Manager at Avalon Shipping.

According to the published data, the 2026 tariff structure introduces a rebalancing of charges between laden and ballast passages:

-       Laden transit: USD 1.98 per deadweight ton (USD 2.04 in 2025);

-       Ballast transit: USD 0.77 per deadweight ton (USD 0.57 in 2025).

While the rate for laden vessels is marginally reduced, ballast transits experience a notable increase. As a result, the aggregate entry/exit indicator rises from USD 2.61 per deadweight ton in 2025 to USD 2.76 in 2026.

For a vessel of approximately 5,000 DWT, this adjustment translates into an additional USD 300–400 in PDA costs, directly affecting voyage economics on the Danube.

Analytical comment IDR
From an economic perspective, the revised tariff reflects an attempt by the canal administrator to offset rising operational and maintenance costs while redistributing the fiscal burden toward ballast movements. For Danube shipping, particularly under conditions of heightened security risks and competition among alternative routes, the increase in total transit costs further compresses freight margins. For Ukrainian Danube ports, even moderate tariff growth has a cumulative effect, reinforcing the need for greater transparency in tariff-setting and regional coordination of navigation charges within the Danube Delta.