A second significant consignment of US wheat has arrived at the Chattogram Port, reinforcing Bangladesh's strategic government-to-government (G-to-G) import agreement aimed at stabilizing domestic food supply and addressing trade imbalances.
The vessel MV SPAR ARIES arrived at the outer anchorage of the country’s main seaport on Monday, carrying 60,802 metric tonnes (MTs) of wheat. This shipment is the second to arrive under the cash purchase agreement (No-G to G-01), which is a key component of a larger Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the US and Bangladesh.
The current shipment is part of a larger agreement under which Bangladesh is set to import a total of 440,000 MTs of wheat from the United States.
The initial consignment, consisting of 56,959 MTs, arrived approximately a week prior, on October 25 last.
With the arrival of the MV SPAR ARIES, over 117,000 MTs of the total agreed-upon quantity have now reached Bangladesh.
Sample testing of the newly arrived wheat aboard the MV SPAR ARIES has already commenced, and port authorities are taking necessary measures to ensure its prompt clearance and distribution.
This G-to-G procurement is part of a broader, five-year MoU, finalized in July, under which Bangladesh committed to importing 700,000 tonnes of US wheat annually. The initiative is highly strategic, serving dual purposes, It diversifies Bangladesh's wheat sources, ensuring a stable supply of high-quality, high-protein milling wheat, a crucial commodity since Bangladesh imports the vast majority of its annual wheat demand.
The agreement is also viewed as a crucial diplomatic and economic move to reduce the trade deficit between Bangladesh and the US, thereby securing more favorable tariff conditions for Bangladeshi exports, particularly in the ready-made garment sector.
The successful, swift arrival of these shipments underscores the government's commitment to fulfilling the agreement and strengthening economic cooperation with the United States.
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