Egypt Buys Kazakhstan's Wheat for the First Time in 15 Years

The world’s largest wheat importer, Egypt, has unexpectedly resumed purchases from Kazakhstan for the first time in 15 years, Orda.kz reports.

Egypt’s state grain agency, Future of Egypt (Mostakbal Misr), has bought wheat from Kazakhstan.

According to port authorities and industry sources, two ships arrived in Egypt in mid-September — one carrying about 11,000 tons, the other 21,000 tons, the Dubai-based publication ZAWYA reported.

Egypt’s renewed interest in Kazakhstan's wheat comes as part of its effort to diversify import sources. In early October, representatives of Future of Egypt visited Kazakhstan to explore broader cooperation.

Until now, such purchases had been virtually nonexistent: no Egyptian state buyer had processed Kazakhstan's wheat since 2010. Because Kazakhstan is landlocked and relies on Russian Black Sea ports, the new deal could indicate that Kazakh grain is being considered a strategic alternative amid global supply chain disruptions.

As early as 2023, Reuters reported that Egypt’s former state operator GASC was in talks with Emirati partners to finance purchases of Kazakh wheat in order to diversify beyond Russia, France, and Ukraine. Egypt’s total imports, including private deals, dropped by almost 30% in the first half of this year — to around five million tons.

Following the 2022 crisis, Egypt has been working to bolster food security through new storage facilities, higher domestic production, and a search for alternative suppliers.

However, analysts forecast no shortage for 2025–2026: Egypt plans to keep wheat imports at last year’s level of about 13 million tons, with Russia remaining the main supplier.

As for Kazakhstan, it is not yet known whether this will become a long-term export direction or how pricing will develop. Still, this marks the first state-level Kazakh wheat sale to Egypt since the mid-2000s — a move that could signal a shift in global grain trade routes.

Previously, Kazakhstan also exported domestic wheat to Norway and Morocco for the first time in 15 years. The Kazakh government has already allocated funds from its reserves to cover the initial shipping costs for these new routes.

Original Author: Alina Pak