As Egypt approaches the start of a new citrus export season, exporters are becoming increasingly concerned about disruptions on one of their key trade routes. According to EastFruit analysts, a major outlet for Egyptian citrus — one of the country’s most important sources of agricultural export earnings — has become severely constrained.
In late August, MSC, the world’s largest container shipping line, suspended new bookings to and from Novorossiysk following an incident involving the vessel MSC ULSAN III, amid a sharp increase in risks to commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
On 3 August, Türkiye officially reported drone attacks on two Turkish-owned civilian vessels after they had departed Novorossiysk. On 21 August, the container ship RMS Team, operating on a service run by Turkish carrier Akkon Lines and sailing towards Novorossiysk, was attacked. Eleven crew members were rescued, while one seafarer was reported missing.
By 27 August, Akkon had informed customers that it was suspending calls at Russian ports, citing mounting risks to crews, vessels and cargo. Another major Turkish operator, Arkas, also suspended services to Russia.
Georgia’s Black Sea ports, by contrast, remain available as an alternative. International fresh-produce trade expert Fedir Rybalko believes that the Georgian port of Poti could absorb part of the diverted cargo flow. More importantly, Poti could serve not only the fast-growing markets of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also one of the most dynamic citrus-importing regions: Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Egypt is one of the world’s leading citrus exporters. In 2025, the country exported around 2 million tonnes of citrus fruit. Even a relatively modest shift in logistics can therefore affect hundreds of thousands of tonnes of produce, as well as thousands of small, medium-sized and large growers and trading companies.
The challenge is compounded by existing disruptions affecting export routes through the Red Sea and the Gulf, making the availability of alternative corridors even more important.
Russia remains Egypt’s second-most important sales market after the European Union. It is also significant because the Russian market often absorbs fruit that does not meet the more stringent quality specifications required by the EU and other higher-standard destinations. This means that replacing the Russian outlet quickly is not straightforward.
Poti offers access to a multimodal corridor linking Egypt with the Black Sea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region. Such a route could provide exporters with an alternative to Russia-dependent logistics and potentially reduce concentration and operational risks.
For Egyptian exporters, the value of Poti could extend beyond simple transhipment. A full logistics solution could include unloading, repacking, reloading, customs clearance and freight forwarding, allowing cargoes to be redistributed to several markets from a single regional hub.
If the corridor proves competitive in both cost and transit time, it could help Egyptian exporters diversify logistics risk while strengthening their presence in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Lower delivered costs could also support additional consumption in price-sensitive markets across the region, creating new commercial opportunities for Egyptian citrus suppliers.
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