As tensions ratchet higher in Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, the country’s port operators, international shipping executives and European energy officials reported few disruptions to the vast commodities infrastructure that has made the country a linchpin in the global economy. Ukraine is a key supplier of wheat and corn, and it exports metals and minerals to Europe, Russia and beyond. Ukrainian farms rank as the world’s fourth and fifth largest exporters of corn and wheat, respectively. Much of that feeds African and Mideast markets. Its mills make it the world’s fifth-largest steel exporter. Ukraine also serves as a critical gateway for Russian natural gas to Western Europe. About a fifth of Europe’s annual gas needs flow across the country. Together with Russia, Ukraine forms the northern coast of the Black Sea, a major shipping route for energy, agricultural products and metals. The current unrest in the Crimean peninsula , which juts […]