Vietnam may lose entry to World's Best Rice Contest
	Vietnam's rice exporters urged to utilize FTAs to boost shipments
	Philippines becomes Vietnam's largest rice importer

The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports the country exported 1.89 million tonnes of rice worth US$1.01 billion during the opening four months of the year, representing an annual decrease of 10.8% in volume despite being a rise of 1.2% in value.

The average export price of rice throughout the reviewed period climbed by 13.4% to reach US$534 per tonne against the same period from last year.

The Philippines makes up the largest buyer of Vietnamese rice with 36.3% of the overall market share, followed by China, the Ivory Coast, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Cambodia.

Bags of rice loaded onto a ship for export. Photo: VNA

The structure of Vietnamese rice exports has shifted to fragrant rice and high-quality rice, while both farmers and traders have also increasingly taken an interest in improving product quality and origin traceability. Indeed, this is being done to meet the stringent standards set by demanding markets, such as the European Union, the Republic of Korea, and the United States, VOV reported.

Experts also reveal that local rice exports are poised to enjoy a number of advantages in the upcoming months of the year as China has brought the Covid-19 pandemic under control, and rice exports to this market are set to rise in the near future.

Furthermore, India, the world's largest rice exporter, is currently facing difficulties due to the impact of the pandemic, meaning that there are bright prospects ahead for the country’s rice exports in the time ahead.

Rice for export being stockpiled. Photo: VNA/VNS

Last year saw Vietnam diversify its export markets through the signing of several free trade agreements, such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKFTA).

Moving forward, Vietnamese rice exports are expected to enjoy competitive advantages thanks to the implementation of preferential tariffs brought in by these FTAs, with huge export opportunities to the EU, UK, and Eurasian Economic Union.

Most notably, the Government of the Philippines has recently decided to reduce import tax on rice to 35%, which is anticipated to create a wealth of opportunities for Vietnamese rice exports to be shipped to the Philippines in the future.

Vietnam’s rice exports to China enjoy surge in the first quarter of 2021 China has moved to increase its import of rice from several Asian countries, including Vietnam, during the opening months of the year.

Vietnam would remain world’s second largest rice exporter: US department of Agriculture The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has forecast that Vietnam would maintain its position as the world’s second-biggest rice exporter this year.

Vietnam’s rice exports to Thailand enjoy sharp increase Vietnam’s rice exports recorded a sharp increase in the first half of March in comparison to the previous period from last year, with Thailand emerging ...