Egypt and Indonesia are expected to retain their lead in wheat imports
14-May-2025 04:49 PM
Chicago. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated that Egypt and Indonesia will continue to be the leading wheat importing countries in the world during the upcoming marketing season (July–June) of 2025-26.
Egypt is expected to import about 125 lakh tonnes of wheat in the current 2024-25 season, which may rise by 5 lakh tonnes to 130 lakh tonnes in 2025-26. Most of Egypt's wheat imports come from Russia.
According to a report by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the USDA, Egypt's long-standing bread subsidy program will continue in the future, requiring large quantities of imported wheat, primarily from Russia.
Additionally, private millers and traders in Egypt also import significant volumes of wheat. Apart from Russia, imports also come from Ukraine, Somalia, and other countries.
After meeting domestic demand, Egypt may export small amounts of wheat flour to neighboring countries like Sudan.
The FAS report also highlights a likely increase in wheat imports across Asia, led by China. China is expected to import about 33 lakh tonnes of wheat in 2024-25, with this figure potentially rising to 60 lakh tonnes in 2025-26.
Wheat imports are also projected to increase in South-East Asia, with Indonesia maintaining strong demand, especially for milling purposes.
Indonesia is Asia's largest wheat importer, sourcing most of its supply from Australia. According to USDA estimates, Indonesia's wheat imports could rise by 5 lakh tonnes, from 115 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 to 120 lakh tonnes in 2025-26.
Wheat imports in South Korea and Vietnam are also expected to increase by 1 lakh tonne each, reaching 45 lakh tonnes and 54 lakh tonnes, respectively.
Other significant wheat-importing nations in South-East and Far-East Asia include the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.
Japan is projected to import 54.50 lakh tonnes, the Philippines 74 lakh tonnes, and Thailand 40 lakh tonnes of wheat during the 2025-26 marketing season.