By recently lifting restrictions on wheat imports, Türkiye has quickly become the third-largest buyer of Russian wheat, following Egypt and Bangladesh.

Türkiye has restarted wheat purchases from Russia, importing 2.5 million metric tons this season and now ranking as the third-largest importer of Russian wheat, according to data cited by CNBC-e from Rusagrotrans, a Russian railway transport company. Only Egypt (7.6 million tons) and Bangladesh (2.6 million tons) have bought more.

The shift comes after Türkiye eased import restrictions in March under the Inward Processing Regime (DİR), allowing wheat imports for flour production destined for export. Last year, Türkiye had limited foreign wheat purchases to protect domestic farmers following a strong harvest.

Iran, another major importer, also resumed Russian wheat purchases in March after a four-month pause, buying 144,000 tons. Meanwhile, analysts expect Russia’s global wheat market share to drop from 28% to 22% this season due to increased exports from Argentina and the U.S.

Despite an anticipated decline in Russia’s wheat exports—from 55.5 million tons last season to 40.8 million this year—it remains the world’s top exporter.