Kazakhstan targets Morocco as a gateway for wheat sales in Africa
Kazakhstan and Morocco are developing logistics and business links intended to expand Kazakh wheat sales in Morocco and other African markets. A 300,000-tonne agreement and an initial 60,000-tonne shipment have provided the first commercial test of the strategy.
Morocco positioned as an African grain gateway
Kazakhstan is seeking to use Morocco as a logistics and commercial gateway for expanding wheat sales in Africa, with the two governments and their business communities working on more direct links between Central Asia, North Africa and West Africa. The strategy gives Kazakhstan a route into one of the world’s major wheat-importing regions while offering Morocco another source of grain supply.
SNRT News reported that the two countries examined the creation of a logistics hub in Morocco to facilitate exports of Kazakh wheat to African countries. The proposal formed part of a broader bilateral roadmap agreed during Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu’s first official visit to Morocco on February 28, 2025. The governments also agreed to create a joint commission, promote a Morocco-Kazakhstan Business Council and strengthen logistics connectivity.
First cargo tests a longer supply chain
The grain initiative has already moved beyond diplomatic discussions. According to Médias24, an agreement covering 300,000 tonnes of Kazakh wheat for Morocco was signed in February 2025. An initial cargo of 60,000 tonnes was shipped in May through the Latvian port of Liepaja, the publication said, citing Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry.
The route illustrates both the opportunity and the main obstacle facing Kazakh suppliers. Kazakhstan has exportable grain, but reaching Atlantic markets requires a long multimodal chain and access to foreign ports. The US Department of Agriculture reported that transport subsidies helped Kazakhstan increase wheat shipments to less traditional destinations, including Morocco, during the 2024/25 marketing year. It estimated national wheat exports at 10.0 million tonnes for that season, the second-highest volume on record, after a bumper harvest and competitive pricing.
Business council focuses on direct trade
The first session of the Morocco-Kazakhstan Business Council was held in Casablanca on July 21, 2026. Médias24 reported that participants discussed combining Moroccan port infrastructure with Kazakh transport corridors to facilitate trade between Central Asia, West Africa and Europe. Agriculture, food security, fertilizers, transport and logistics were among the priority sectors.
The wider commercial relationship is growing but remains unbalanced. Bilateral trade rose 68% in 2025 to $461.5 million, from $274.4 million a year earlier, according to Kazakh Foreign Ministry data cited by Médias24. Kazakh exports to Morocco accounted for $434 million, while purchases of Moroccan goods totaled $27.5 million. Sulfur represented 90.5% of Kazakhstan’s exports, with wheat among the other products supplied.
Costs will determine regional expansion
Morocco’s ports and established commercial links with African markets could give Kazakh grain traders a platform beyond a single bilateral sale. However, the competitiveness of that model will depend on freight costs, handling capacity, delivery times and the ability to organize regular volumes. Kazakh wheat must compete with grain supplied through shorter or more established routes.
The 300,000-tonne agreement therefore represents an operational test as much as a sales contract. If the remaining volumes can be delivered reliably and direct business links reduce intermediary costs, Morocco could support Kazakhstan’s attempt to diversify beyond its traditional regional buyers. For Moroccan millers and grain importers, the initiative adds another potential origin rather than replacing existing suppliers immediately.