The General Authority for Supply Commodities at the Supply Ministry conducted a new international tender on Wednesday to import 180,000 tons of US wheat for the production of subsidized bread.

The required quantities shall be supplied from 11 to 20 February 2013.

Vice Chair of the GASC Nomani Nasr Nomani said in a press statement that Cargill Trading Egypt would deliver 60 tons of US wheat at the price of US$334.60 per ton.

Nomani noted that offers are approved based on compliance with Egyptian standards for the quality of wheat.

Egypt is one of the largest importers of wheat in the world.

Head of import affairs at the GASC Mohamed Abdallah said on Wednesday that 180,000 tons of US wheat were imported from an earlier tender after the ministry was granted $8 million to expand Egypt’s wheat supply, on the condition that the wheat is imported from the US.

Abdallah told Al-Masry Al-Youm, “Shipments of wheat that had previously been contracted are being received to raise the strategic reserves of wheat in order to meet the needs of the Egyptian market in the upcoming period.”

The authority at the beginning of this month conducted two international tenders to import 400,000 tons of US, Romanian, and French wheat for the production of subsidized bread, to be supplied in the first auction from 15 to 31 January and the second from 1 to 10 February 2013.