Wheat · importers
For Egypt, cereals are not a side line: at $6.8B in 2024 they form 7.2% of everything the country imports. That changes how a seller should read the market.
| Market | HS 10 imports |
|---|---|
| China | $14.8B |
| Mexico | $8.0B |
| Indonesia | $6.8B |
| Japan | $6.7B |
| Vietnam | $5.5B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 10 (cereals); wheat is only part of it. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Egypt’s imports total $94.7B, and only mineral fuels ($17.0B) and machinery ($7.2B) are larger than cereals at $6.8B. Electrical machinery and iron and steel follow. Few large economies give a food-grain chapter such a high place, and it reflects how central bread grains are to the country’s food supply.
Because the chapter matters so much domestically, purchasing tends to draw close attention from the state and from finance ministries. Treat the market as one where procurement rules and foreign-currency availability matter as much as the product.
Egypt ranks 3 of 96 markets with a 4.6% share of reported world imports of the chapter. Mexico sits just above at $8.0B and Indonesia just below at $6.8B, essentially level with Egypt. The margin over fourth place is thin, so small changes in reporting can swap the order.
Read the rank as membership in a top group, not a fixed position.
Egypt’s largest source markets across all goods are China, Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Russian Federation and Germany. That list covers every product and should not be treated as a ranking of grain origins. To see who actually ships cereals to Egypt, filter shipment records by the wheat heading and look at origin and consignee together.
Ask the buyer how tenders or direct contracts are run, and confirm the current import and inspection requirements with the destination customs authority. Agree the Incoterm, currency, payment instrument and discharge port in writing. Where payment relies on a bank letter of credit, check the opening bank’s conditions before you commit to a shipment window.
The figures cover the whole of HS chapter 10, meaning all cereals, so wheat is only part of the $6.8B. Rankings come from each market’s own declaration in the latest year available and can be distorted by re-exports and reporting gaps.
Very. Cereals are 7.2% of Egypt's $94.7B total imports and rank third among its import chapters, behind mineral fuels and machinery. That share is far higher than in most large importing economies.
Third of 96 ranked markets at $6.8B. Mexico is just above at $8.0B and Indonesia just below at a similar $6.8B, so the position is close and could shift with reporting changes.
The trade statistics do not name buyers. Customs shipment records list consignees for each wheat consignment, which lets you see whether the buyers are public bodies, private mills or traders, and how often each buys.
Not directly. They rank suppliers across all products. Use records filtered to the wheat heading to identify the true grain origins and to spot where a new supplier could compete.
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