Bangladesh eighth-largest market for US wheat in 2025: US envoy

Bangladesh has become the eighth-largest market for US wheat in 2025, following last year’s contracts to purchase the staple from the American market, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen said today.

Bangladesh’s import of wheat from the US is an important step toward narrowing the trade imbalance between the two countries, he said.

He made the comments while addressing an event marking the arrival of around 60,000 tonnes of high-quality wheat from the US at the food department’s silo jetty at Chattogram port this afternoon.

Under a government-to-government memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries, a vessel named MV Clipper Isadora carrying 57,203 tonnes of wheat from the US arrived at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port on January 19.

Today, unloading of a total of 5,400 tonnes of wheat began at the silo jetty using two lighterage vessels.

Addressing the event titled “Celebrating US Wheat Arrival in Bangladesh”, the ambassador said: “Bangladesh has long been a valued partner and beneficiary of US agricultural exports, and today’s shipment marks a milestone in our growing trade relationship.”

Following the MoU signed between US Wheat Associates and the Bangladesh government in July last year, Bangladesh, which was earlier a rare customer of US wheat farmers, has become their eighth-largest market in 2025, he said.

This is an important step toward addressing the trade imbalance between the two countries, he opined.

Mentioning that wheat is Bangladesh's second-most important staple food after rice, but domestic production meets only 13 percent of national demand, the ambassador said American farmers are ideally positioned to meet that demand.

Speaking at the event, Food Secretary Md Firoz Sarker said a five-year MoU was signed with the United States in July last year to address the trade imbalance, under which 700,000 tonnes of wheat will be imported annually.

The quality of the US wheat received so far has been very good, with a protein content of around 14 percent.

This will not only strengthen food security but also boost the national economy due to reduced tariffs on Bangladesh’s readymade garments sector, playing an important role in strengthening bilateral relations and long-term friendship, said the secretary.

Chattogram Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman and Director for Procurement at the Directorate General of Food Md Moniruzzaman were also present at the event.

According to a press release issued by the US embassy, under the MoU, Bangladesh has purchased approximately 660,000 tonnes of wheat through three sales contracts facilitated by leading international commodity trading firm Agrocorp.

Of this amount, more than 350,000 tonnes have already been delivered, it added.

Out of the three sales contracts, around 220,000 tonnes of wheat under the first contract have already been delivered, food department officials said.

Under the second contract, a vessel with 56,891 tonnes arrived earlier, while Clipper Isadora is the second vessel that arrived on January 19 with 57,203 tonnes.

Two more vessels, each carrying 57,588 tonnes and 58,359 tonnes, will be arriving within a few days, they informed.