First consignment of 440,000 tonnes of US wheat arrives

The first consignment of 440,000 tonnes of US wheat bought by the food ministry arrived at the Chattogram port today.

The consignment on MV Norse Stride contains 57,000 tonnes of grain, according to a press release from the food ministry.

The government bought the wheat from the US under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Directorate General of Food and the US Department of Agriculture earlier this year.

The government inked the deal to cut the bilateral trade deficit, which was in Bangladesh's favour, and to secure a lower tariff from the Trump administration on Bangladesh's exports.

Under the MoU, the food ministry will buy a total of 440,000 tonnes of wheat from the USA.

The food ministry said the grain samples are under examination for quality, and just over 34,000 tonnes of wheat will be unloaded at Chattogram port. The rest will be unloaded at the Mongla seaport.