Kazakhstan Eyes Morocco as Gateway to Africa's Wheat Market
Kazakhstan wants to use Morocco as a logistics hub to expand wheat exports across Africa. The strategy aims to strengthen Kazakhstan's position in North Africa's competitive wheat market. Logistics will be key to challenging established suppliers such as Russia and the EU. Kazakhstan is looking to use Morocco as a. . .
Kazakhstan wants to use Morocco as a logistics hub to expand wheat exports across Africa. The strategy aims to strengthen Kazakhstan's position in North Africa's competitive wheat market. Logistics will be key to challenging established suppliers such as Russia and the EU. Kazakhstan is looking to use Morocco as a gateway to expand its wheat exports into North and West Africa, marking a new phase in its efforts to build a stronger presence in one of the world's largest grain-importing regions. The plan was outlined during the inaugural Kazakhstan-Morocco Business Council meeting held in Casablanca on July 21. "We see the Kingdom of Morocco not only as a promising market for Kazakh grain products but also as a strategic logistics and trade platform to expand our presence in North and West African markets,"Asylkhan Dzhuvashev, chairman of the state-owned grain company Prodcorporation, was quoted as saying by Kazakhstan Today. According to Moroccan outlet Médias24, officials from both countries agreed to combine Morocco's port infrastructure with Kazakhstan's transport corridors to facilitate trade flows. The initiative comes as Kazakhstan continues to struggle to establish itself as a consistent wheat supplier to African markets. Africa Remains a Small Export MarketTrade Map data show that Kazakhstan's cereal exports to Africa consist entirely of wheat and have so far been limited to North African countries. In 2025, Kazakhstan exported nearly $108 million worth of wheat to Africa. Algeria accounted for 65% of those shipments, Morocco for 32% and Egypt for the remainder. Africa represented just 6. 75% of Kazakhstan's roughly $1. 6 billion in wheat export revenue that year, despite the country ranking among the world's top 10 wheat exporters. The figures nevertheless mark an improvement over previous years. Between 2018 and 2024, Tunisia was the only African destination for Kazakh wheat, with annual purchases never exceeding $25 million. No wheat exports to Africa were recorded in 2022 or 2024, underscoring the difficulty Kazakhstan has faced in securing a lasting foothold on the continent. Those challenges are partly logistical. As a landlocked country between Russia and China, Kazakhstan must develop competitive transport routes to move its grain efficiently to Mediterranean markets. A Large but Highly Competitive MarketNorth Africa represents an attractive opportunity because the region is one of the world's largest wheat importers, driven by strong domestic demand and insufficient local production. In its latest global grain market outlook, the U. S. Department of Agriculture forecasts that North African countries will import nearly 29. 8 million metric tons of wheat during the 2026-2027 marketing year, making the region the world's third-largest wheat-importing market after Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Competition, however, is intense. Russia has become one of North Africa's leading wheat suppliers thanks to its geographic proximity and competitive prices. Moscow is also expanding its regional logistics network, including new initiatives announced in Egypt earlier this year. The European Union, particularly France and Romania, also remains a major supplier, while Ukraine continues working to preserve its export markets despite disruptions caused by the war with Russia. For Kazakhstan, the next challenge will be turning its closer relationship with Morocco into long-term commercial contracts. In a market where established suppliers already dominate, logistics and supply chain efficiency are likely to determine whether it can win a larger share of Africa's wheat imports. Stéphanas Assocle