Egypt's GASC issues rare feed corn import tender for Feb shipment

Egypt's state-backed import agency has issued a tender to buy corn in what is believed to be a first for the country, trade sources have told Agricensus.

The General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) issued the tender over the weekend with trade sources expecting it to close on January 19.

The corn is expected to be sourced on a delivered price basis, with shipment from February 10-25, while the total volume sought by the agency is unknown at present 

Egypt is one of the world's biggest importers of wheat, with much of the volume handled by GASC. 

However, while the country is a significant importer of corn - expected to produce 7.4 million mt domestically and import 9.2 million mt according to USDA data - the volumes are rarely, if ever, handled through the state agency. 

Data from the Agricensus Export Dashboard shows around 30% of the country's corn imports have been sourced from Ukraine over the last decade, closely followed by Argentina (28.5%) and then Brazil (28.1%). 

For more information on Egypt's recent tender buying, please see our Tender Dashboard.