Bangladesh Wheat Imports Become Costlier, Creating Opportunity for India

11-Aug-2026 06:16 PM

Bangladesh continues to buy wheat from the US, but US wheat is currently around $65–70 per tonne more expensive than Russian wheat. Higher freight costs are a major reason, with shipments from the US taking around 55 days to reach Bangladesh compared with about 15 days from Russia.

On July 1, Bangladesh approved the purchase of 220,000 tonnes of US wheat at $332 per tonne under a government-to-government agreement. In comparison, 50,000 tonnes purchased through an international tender cost $297.92 per tonne, more than $34 per tonne cheaper.

Bangladesh produces only around 13% of its domestic wheat requirement and imported 6.235 million tonnes in 2024-25 through public and private channels. After India imposed wheat export restrictions in 2022, Bangladesh diversified its suppliers, with Argentina becoming an important source.

However, growing attacks and disruptions in the Black Sea region are creating uncertainty over supplies from Russia and Ukraine. This could increase Bangladesh’s dependence on alternative suppliers, including India.

India has already started supplying more wheat to Bangladesh, and demand could increase further. Other importing countries are also showing interest in Indian wheat. If Black Sea disruptions continue, stronger export demand could provide additional support to Indian wheat prices.