Russia retains wheat export lead with 46.5 million tonnes in 2025/26

Russia stays ahead of competing suppliers

Russia supplied approximately 46.5 million tonnes of wheat to the global market in the completed 2025/26 season, retaining its position as the world’s leading exporter despite strong competition, according to NEWS.am. USDA estimates cited by the publication placed the European Union second with shipments of 31.5 million tonnes and Canada third with 29.6 million tonnes.

The figures put Russia about 15 million tonnes ahead of the EU and 16.9 million tonnes ahead of Canada. That lead is significant for grain traders and importing countries because Russia remains a major source of available wheat volumes, particularly for markets accustomed to purchasing Black Sea grain. At the same time, the shipments show that competing suppliers did not displace Russia from the top position during the season.

Larger crop supports export availability

Export performance was supported by an increase in Russia’s wheat harvest. The country collected 91.1 million tonnes in 2025, up 8.5 million tonnes from 2024, NEWS.am reported. The additional output expanded the volume available to serve foreign demand while maintaining Russia’s presence across its established sales destinations.

The estimated 46.5 million tonnes exported were equivalent to slightly more than half of the 2025 harvest, although the harvest and export-season figures are not directly comparable because the marketing season can include inventories carried over between crop years. Even so, the scale of shipments illustrates the central role that overseas buyers play in absorbing Russian production. It also means changes in the Russian crop or access to its export channels can affect supply expectations among large importers.

Turkey and Sudan increase purchases

Stronger demand from traditional customers contributed to the result. Russian wheat exports to Turkey reached approximately 7.3 million tonnes, 2.2 times the level recorded in 2024/25. Shipments to Sudan doubled to 2.2 million tonnes. Egypt increased its purchases by 6%, while Israel bought 21% more, according to the source.

Turkey alone accounted for almost 16% of Russia’s estimated wheat exports in 2025/26, based on the figures reported. The rise in purchases by Turkey and Sudan gave Russian suppliers substantial additional demand, while growth in Egypt and Israel broadened support across several established destinations. For importers, the concentration of large volumes among regular buyers can increase competition for Russian wheat when demand strengthens simultaneously.

Iraq emerges as a more substantial destination

The effective opening of Iraq’s market was another notable development. Agroexport analysts said Russian wheat had formal access to Iraq, but significant and regular deliveries had been absent in recent seasons. In 2025/26, shipments rose to a record of approximately 560,000 tonnes, compared with 82,000 tonnes one season earlier.

Iraq remained a smaller destination than Turkey, Sudan or Russia’s other major customers, but the sharp increase added a new outlet for exporters. Regular trade at higher volumes would give Russian suppliers greater geographic diversification and provide Iraqi buyers with another source of wheat. The season’s overall result therefore reflected both stronger sales to traditional markets and the development of a destination where Russian grain had previously achieved only limited penetration.