Egypt’s wheat imports fall 42% in October amid rising global prices

Egypt’s wheat imports fell by nearly 42% in October 2026 to 1.15 mln tons, compared with around 2 mln tons in the same month last year. The main factors behind the decline were a stronger US dollar, higher international wheat prices and increasing logistics risks in the Black Sea region.

In January–October, Egypt imported 10.18 mln tons of wheat, compared with 10.86 mln tons during the same period in 2025. This represents a decline of 671.7 thsd tons, or 6.2%. Russia remained Egypt’s largest wheat supplier, accounting for 56.2% of total imports. Russian shipments reached 5.72 mln tons, down from 6.1 mln tons a year earlier.

Ukrainian wheat shipments to Egypt declined to 2.73 mln tons over the ten-month period, compared with 3.32 mln tons last year, a decrease of nearly 18%. Imports from France also fell by 23.9% to 297.8 thsd tons, while US shipments dropped by 36.6% to 71 thsd tons. Meanwhile, Egypt continued to diversify its grain supply sources by increasing purchases from other countries.

In particular, wheat imports from Romania rose by 48.8% to 742.9 thsd tons, while shipments from Bulgaria increased by 19.7% to 246.9 thsd tons and those from Canada grew by 39% to 157.2 thsd tons. Lithuania and Latvia also emerged as new suppliers, exporting 93.1 thsd tons and 66 thsd tons of wheat, respectively, to Egypt in January–October. Neither country recorded shipments during the same period last year.

Rising international wheat prices and disruptions to Black Sea shipping have increased pressure on the Egyptian market. According to local traders, global wheat prices climbed to $320/t from $270/t in the middle of the year before easing slightly to $305/t. Against this backdrop, domestic flour prices have risen by approximately 3,000 Egyptian pounds per ton, or $55, since early August.

Meanwhile, the recent weakening of the US dollar against the Egyptian pound could partially reduce import costs and help stabilize domestic flour prices. Egypt remains one of the world’s largest wheat importers: in the 2025/26 fiscal year, the country purchased around 12.5 mln tons of wheat from abroad, covering approximately 62% of domestic consumption, estimated at 20.3 mln tons annually.

Tags: Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Romania, France, Black Sea region, wheat, imports