Wheat field in Tbilisskaya, Russia.
The deadline for offers is Tuesday, 19 July, with tender envelopes to be opened on the same day, GASC added in a statement.
Traders are allowed to submit offers on cost and freight (C&F) basis for payment using 180-day letters of credit, according to the GASC.
The GASC said shipping will be from 16-30 September, 1-15 October, and 1-15 November.
Importers can apply for all or one of the shipping periods, the statement added.
In June, GASC contracted 815,000 tons of wheat in tender from France, Romania, Russia and Bulgaria in addition to 465,000 tons of wheat in another tender from Russia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Both tenders are scheduled to be shipped from July till October.
Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer, had been importing much of its grain from Russian and Ukraine through the Black Sea due to its high quality, competitive pricing, and geographical proximity.
Following the disruption of the supply chain due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Egypt has been diversifying its sources of wheat that includes India, which has exempted Egypt from its recent wheat export ban.
Egyptian Minister of Supply Ali Moselhi said in his remarks to Reuters that Egypt needs to import five million tons of wheat for the fiscal year 2022/23.
As the Russian-Ukrainian conflict raised costs of importing wheat worldwide, Egypt has sought to increase local production with the aim to collect six million tons of the strategic crop through August, up from the 3.5 million tons in 2021.
The Egyptian government allocates a great deal of the imported wheat to make subsidised bread, which is a key staple of the everyday Egyptian diet for more than 70 million citizens.
In addition, the country also seeks to decrease wheat consumption by adding sweet potato to subsidised bread, according to Moselhi. Using sweet potato to make bread could save up to a million tons of wheat, Moselhi explained. He added that Egypt has self-sufficiency in sweet potato and is studying the technology required for the process.
The country has a strategic stock of wheat sufficient for almost six months, according to official estimates.
The World Bank has recently approved a $500 million loan to back Egypt’s social protection net and food security following impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian War.
In 15 June, the EU allocated €100 million in immediate relief to encourage investments in Egypt's agricultural sector and secure the country's food needs during the global grain crisis.
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