Egypt’s state wheat buyer plans to purchase 500,000 tons from France, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan instead of Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. The shift follows reported disruption around Russian Black Sea ports and growing concerns over Russian authorities’ attempts to enforce an unofficial minimum export price.
The development is commercially relevant for European and Black Sea wheat traders because Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer and a major buyer of regional supplies. France and Bulgaria could gain additional demand, while Kazakhstan may require alternative financing and logistics arrangements; Reuters reported that Egypt is discussing a credit line with an Abu Dhabi bank to support Kazakh purchases.
Egypt previously bought 480,000 tons of Russian wheat at $270/ton, including freight, on August 4, after purchasing 300,000 tons at $250/ton on August 2. Russian wheat imports reached 8.1 million tons in the 2025/26 marketing year, up 61.1%, while total Egyptian imports were estimated at 12.5–12.7 million tons, down from 13.2 million tons in 2024/25. Further purchases could support European wheat demand, although the final origins and volumes remain unconfirmed.