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Algeria Strengthens Its Foothold in Asia as Seoul and Dhaka Turn to Its Energy and Fertilizer

2 November 2026 · Algeria Now

ALGIERS — Algeria ranks as the third-largest supplier of petroleum products to South Korea, while Bangladesh is courting Algiers for fertilizer and gas. Together, the two developments show Algerian energy finding new buyers in Asia as European demand remains strong.

South Korea: a place on the podium

According to Attaqa, an energy research unit, Algeria exported an average of 67,000 barrels a day of petroleum products to South Korea between January and September 2026. That placed it behind Japan, at 74,000, and the United Arab Emirates, at 72,000, and ahead of the United States, at 59,000, and India, at 47,000.

The ranking comes in a shrinking market. South Korean imports of petroleum products averaged 706,000 barrels a day over the period, down 29 percent from 995,000 a year earlier. Algeria's place in that smaller pool suggests that Sonatrach, the national hydrocarbons company, is holding its ground against larger producers.

Bangladesh: talks before contracts

Dhaka's interest is more recent and, for now, rests on declarations rather than contracts. On 20 October, Algeria and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on hydrocarbons in Algiers, covering liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and petroleum products, according to the Ministry of Hydrocarbons. Two days later, Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Humayun Kabir, met Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, who confirmed Algeria's readiness to meet Bangladesh's fertilizer needs.

The need is considerable. Bangladesh imports about 80 percent of its fertilizer, according to its Ministry of Agriculture, and imports of diammonium phosphate (DAP) rose 15.8 percent in the latest year to 1.62 million tonnes. Its interior minister said on 5 October that Dhaka intends to sign long-term fertilizer and gas supply agreements.

Algeria has the means to respond. The Sorfert complex at Arzew produces 1.26 million tonnes of granulated urea and 1.6 million tonnes of ammonia a year, according to the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Sonatrach is also developing an integrated phosphate project at Oued Keberit, in Souk Ahras, whose first phase targets 2.4 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizer and 570,000 tonnes of urea a year.

What comes next

No contract setting products, volumes or prices has been signed with Bangladesh. Competition exists: a Bangladeshi official has said that a proposed joint venture in Saudi Arabia, aimed at producing a million tonnes of DAP a year under a long-term purchase agreement, is still at the study stage.

The next steps will show whether memoranda become commercial deals. For Algiers, diversifying beyond Europe fits a wider aim of turning its hydrocarbon and mining resources into higher-value exports, from fertilizer to refined products.

Algeria Strengthens Its Foothold in Asia as Seoul and Dhaka Turn to Its Energy and Fertilizer

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