This year the Conference Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa was held in non-standard format which was not unnoticed by state structures. The first conference day was held in the RISOIL terminal at the Chernomorsk Sea Port. A comfortable conference hall, coffee break and lounge zones were installed at the territory of terminal, so the participants could observe the RISOIL terminal coordinated work during the breaks. This year total amount of participants made up 500.

. The first conference day was opened by the panel discussion Development of agribusiness and infrastructure in the current environment of Ukraine.
The real surprise and significant event was solemn signing of a bilateral agreement between the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) and the Chinese company China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. on dredging works in the seaport Yuzhny. It was excellent performance of the new ASPU team work..
Interlegal partner Natalya Myroshnychenko highlighted Legal issues for development of port terminals in the transshipment of export grain and oilseed cargoes by means of the company case study.
Final accord of the first conference day was the Round Table «Phytosanitary control in Ukraine vs. market expansion for Ukrainian agricultural products» where participants studied vital issues of phytosanitary control under grain export supply.
The first conference day was followed by the evening cocktail party – untypical under its form and content.
The second conference day was also full of extremely interesting reports and discussions held at the Atlantic Garden Resort. At the first session Global grain market: demand & supply, development forecast in 2017/18 MY famous analysts shared their forecasts not only global but also Asian, MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and Egyptian market development.
Panel discussion «Contemporary challenges for shipping» moderated by Interlegal partner Arthur Nitsevych, FNI had also vivid atmosphere. Its format supposed answers to questions from practice, namely: global and local shipping risks; reputation of brokers, carriers, traders, and other players of the international sea trade market; reliable sources of information and analysts; risk-management; advanced training of young specialists. Top players of the sea carriage market shared their opinions and positions.
The third session Development trends of the Ukrainian grain market: production, exports, logistics, moderated by Rodion Rybchinskiy, Head of Business project unit, APK-Inform Agency, also drew attention and awoke interest among the audience.
Optional Round Tables also awoke vivid interest. The first Round Table touched the London arbitration news. Interlegal senior lawyer Andrey Perepelitsa highlighted new GAFTA clauses & new Rules of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). Although the next Round Table concerned management issued not related to sea trade, it drew special attention, since Natalya Sashkina, Razvitie agency business coach, presented for the Conference delegates the Rules for effective delegation of tasks. In particular, she highlighted methods of probation and advanced professional training of staff and key faults in delegation approaches. The third Round Table was especially useful for foreign traders. Interlegal partner Irina Voyevodina disclosed the vital issues regarding non-resident companies, including: financial accounting in Panama; Scottish partnerships; Georgia and Estonian tax model; international payments and opening of bank accounts and many others.
At the next Round Table representatives of Charterers P&I Club, London, UK, and Andrejs Radionovs, Managing Director, Senior broker, Marine Insurance Services, Latvia, highlighted the issue of marine insurance, in particular, cargo insurance and charterers responsibility. Discussion was held in the interactive form in English. Finally, Alexander Sagaydak, FNI Executive Director, Olvia Maritime, in the vivid and interesting form, highlighted the situation concerning control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments. The report awoke a vivid discussion upon what shipowners will do after the relevant International Convention comes into force in September 2017.
Having summarized the Conference Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa 2017, first of all we should highlight high level of reporters, broad range of reports covering 4 industries: grain production and processing, trading, cargo handling at ports and terminals and shipping. High level of the participants – top management companies, high representation level of state structures – everything shows that Grain & Maritime Days in Odessa it the leading event among principal forums not only in Ukraine but also in the whole Black Sea Region.

Honorary Secretary NIU, professor Vladimir Torskiy, FNI