France prepares first wheat shipment to Sudan in 18 years as Russia dominates supply
France is preparing to ship 67,000 tonnes of wheat to Sudan, its first such delivery since 2008. Russia supplied about 90% of Sudan’s wheat imports by value in the first half of 2026, leaving French exporters with a difficult market-entry test.
First French cargo since 2008
A bulk carrier is preparing to load about 67,000 tonnes of French wheat for Sudan, marking the first shipment between the two countries in 18 years. According to London Stock Exchange Group data cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and The Sudan Times, loading was scheduled to begin in Rouen before the vessel completed its cargo at Dunkirk in northern France.
European Commission data show that France, the European Union’s largest wheat producer, has not exported wheat to Sudan since August 2008. The cargo therefore represents a return to a market that has become heavily dependent on Black Sea grain. Traders are monitoring whether the shipment is a one-off transaction or the beginning of a broader effort by French suppliers to regain business.
Russia holds a commanding position
Russia remains Sudan’s largest wheat supplier by a wide margin. Figures from the Central Bank of Sudan show that Russian wheat accounted for $341 million of the country’s total wheat imports of $381 million in the first half of 2026. That gives Russia a share of roughly 90% by value. Sudan imported about 1.3 million tonnes of wheat during the same six-month period.
Russia’s position strengthened as Sudanese milling demand recovered. Interfax reported, citing Russia’s Agroexport federal center, that Russia shipped approximately 1.7 million tonnes of wheat to Sudan between July 1, 2025, and early April 2026, compared with 0.7 million tonnes in the corresponding period a year earlier. TASS subsequently reported that Russian shipments reached about 2.2 million tonnes in the full 2025/2026 agricultural season, twice the previous season’s volume and twice the five-year average.
Competition depends on price and reliable delivery
The French cargo arrives as attacks on ports and vessels disrupt Black Sea trade and encourage importers to examine alternative origins. Traders cited in reports on the shipment said it was not yet clear whether the French wheat would replace Russian or Ukrainian supplies. France must compete against an established Russian supply chain while Sudanese buyers face limited access to foreign currency, local-currency depreciation and continued disruption from the conflict that began in 2023.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects Sudan’s wheat imports to reach about 2.8 million tonnes in the 2026/2027 season. France has additional grain available after a strong export campaign: Haropa Port said Rouen handled 8.4 million tonnes of grain exports in 2025/2026, up 61% from the previous season and above its ten-year average of 7.4 million tonnes. Milling wheat accounted for 5.6 million tonnes, while Rouen served 41 countries and handled more than half of French seaborne grain exports. Even so, one 67,000-tonne cargo will not materially loosen Russia’s grip. Repeat sales will depend on delivered prices, payment arrangements and the ability to maintain shipments into a conflict-affected market.
