Economists warn Black Sea attacks threaten to cut Bulgaria off from markets
More than 28 million tonnes of cargo pass through its seaports each year. The Danube is at a record low and Romania plans to close the Danube Bridge rail link in 2027.
Archive image · Photo: Alexey Komarov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Bulgaria's economy faces a growing risk of being cut off from foreign markets, according to an analysis by the Institute for Market Economics (IME) reported by the BTA news agency. Chief economist Latchezar Bogdanov said cargo ships sinking off the coast have already pushed up insurance premiums and transport costs. If the attacks continue, shipping could come to a halt, as in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic is "practically blocked".
In 2025, more than 28 million tonnes of goods passed through the Black Sea ports, compared with 26 to 32 million tonnes a year over the past decade. Cargo handled rose 17 percent in the first half of 2026. Dependent sectors include metallurgy with Aurubis Bulgaria and Stomana Industry, chemicals with Solvay Sodi and Agropolychim, the Lukoil Neftochim refinery and grain trading.
There are also problems on the Danube, where water levels are at their lowest since records began; cargo at Danube ports fell 14 percent in the first half of the year. From April to December 2027, Romania plans to suspend the rail link over the Giurgiu–Ruse Danube Bridge for electrification. The government has yet to produce a strategic response, the IME said.