Newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen visited Chattogram Port on Monday to reinforce commercial cooperation and strengthen bilateral ties, marking the arrival of a major US wheat shipment.
During the visit, the US ambassador joined Chattogram Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral S M Moniruzzaman and Secretary of Food Md Firoz Sarker to mark the arrival of nearly 60,000 metric tonnes of high-quality US wheat, said a statement attributed to US Mission Spokesperson Poornima Rai in Dhaka.
The shipment forms part of a larger consignment exceeding 1,73,000 metric tonnes, comprising almost 1,15,000 metric tonnes of soft white wheat sourced from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and nearly 60,000 metric tonnes of hard red winter wheat from Montana and Nebraska.
Taken together, the deliveries represent a critical supply of high-protein, nutritious grain for Bangladesh, which produces only about 13 per cent of its annual wheat consumption domestically.
“These historic deliveries reflect Bangladesh’s growing role as a key market for American agricultural exports, Rai said.
In July 2025, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Food signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Wheat Associates to purchase up to seven lakh metric tonnes of US wheat annually until 2030.
Under the agreement, Bangladesh has purchased around 6,60,000 metric tonnes of US wheat in three sales from international commodity trader Agro Corp, with more than 3,50,000 metric tonnes already delivered.
The agreement is expected to create new opportunities for US farmers and businesses while ensuring a stable supply of nutritious wheat for the people of Bangladesh.
