International Markets

Canada
Canada shares the world’s longest international border with the United States and is a top market for U.S. rice. Canada does not produce any rice. It grows wild rice, which is not a true rice, but the seed of an aquatic grass. The majority of rice on store shelves that is consumed in Canada is grown in the U.S. Essentially, U.S.-grown rice is as local as it gets for Canadians.
Central America
China
“Have you eaten rice yet?” is a common Chinese expression used as a way to say hello. Per capita rice consumption in China is estimated at 221 pounds per year, nearly 10 times U.S. per capita consumption and one of the highest in the world. China is the largest importer of rice, bringing in over 5 million tons annually. The U.S. rice industry has been working for over a decade to gain access to the Chinese market and while progress has been made, we are not yet to the finish line.
Colombia
Rice is a staple in Colombia whose 50 million people have a high domestic consumption level of more than 1.6 million tons per year. Traditional dishes such as Bandeja Paisa (white rice, red beans, ground beef, plantain, sausage, fried pork skin, corn patty, avocado, and a fried egg) can be found on the table year-round.
Cuba
Cuba is a small Caribbean island 93 miles south of Key West, Florida with a population of over 11 million. Once the number one export market for U.S. rice, exports evaporated when the U.S. imposed an embargo against Cuba. Given their large consumption of rice at 190 lbs per capita annually, Cuba remains a large consumer of rice and will be a top market for U.S. rice once again.
Ghana
Haiti
Haiti is a beautiful mountainous country that makes up the Western third of the island once known as Hispaniola, sharing a border with the Dominican Republic. Haitians prefer to eat rice on a daily basis, consuming about 115 lbs annually per capita.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong produces no rice yet eats nearly 100 pounds per capita annually and thus is dependent upon imports. Hong Kong is a truly open market (like the U.S.!) with no quantitative or qualitative restrictions and no tariffs on imported rice.
Iraq
Japan
Japan is the United States’ second largest milled rice export market in terms of volume and first in terms of value. Many rice farmers in California grow varieties such as Koshihikari, Akitakomachi or sweet rice specifically for the Japanese market though the majority of imports are Calrose. Japan has recently subsidized super premium quality rice and rice for feed use for domestic Japanese farmers, resulting in an insufficient supply of reasonably priced rice favored by the foodservice industry. This provides a large opportunity for imported rice, such as U.S. rice.
Jordan
Jordan is the largest single Arab market for U.S. medium grain rice exports and continues to be a growth market. Jordan is one of the four driest countries in the world, making the country heavily reliant on food imports including rice. Rice is a staple and the average yearly consumption is estimated at 53 lbs. per capita, yet the country produces no rice. The most popular national dish, mansaff, uses U.S. medium grain rice.
Mexico
Mexico is the largest export market for U.S. rice and has been for years. In 1994 they entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and the United States. Since then Mexico’s economy has grown exponentially. The country currently manages a $2.4 trillion economy, which is 11th largest in the world. Mexico’s population of nearly 125 million people is a critical component of U.S. trade.
Saudi Arabia
Rice is the main dish in Saudi Arabia and is usually served twice daily. Saudi Arabia is the Middle East’s second largest importer of long grain rice; they do not produce rice and thus depend entirely on imports. Rice is imported freely by private companies, with zero import duty and no import subsidies.
Singapore
South Korea
South Korea is a country of 51 million and is the second largest market for U.S. rice in Asia. Per capita consumption is estimated at 136 pounds per year but is declining. South Korea imported 152,000 MT of U.S. rice in 2017.
Taiwan
Taiwan has a population of 23.5 million and per capita rice consumption is estimated at 97.9 pounds per year. The U.S. is the largest rice supplier to Taiwan, accounting for about half of their imports. Taiwan has in recent years imported U.S. Calrose, Southern medium grain, long grain and glutinous rice from the U.S.
Turkey

Turkey grows rice; however, it is not enough to satisfy domestic demand which has been increasing over the past several years. Recently, there has been a good deal of uncertainty in the market due to the tense political and economic situation which has led to the rapid depreciation of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies and an increase in interest rates.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the single largest market for U.S. rice sales in the European Union, mostly importing U.S. long grain rice, as well as some medium grain rice for sushi. In 2017, the UK imported 678,000 MT of rice, with India being the largest single supplier, mostly Basmati rice. The USA is the eighth largest exporter with a 4 percent market share.
West Bank

Recent News

Grain-Bins that spell out R-I-C-E-L-A-N-D — Riceland Foods is headquartered in Stuttgart, Arkansas

Jul 29, 2022

Excerpt from a Riceland Foods Press Release

STUTTGART, AR – Riceland Foods farmer members and team members traveled to Washington, DC, this week as part of the company’s In-Depth Leadership Class curriculum, meeting with various government agencies, agriculture industry leaders, and policy makers over the two-day trip.

Riceland Foods is a farmer-led cooperative and the world's largest miller and marketer of rice, serving 5,500 farmer members in Arkansas and Missouri.

Every other year, a mixed group of farmer members and Riceland team members is selected to participate in the leadership class. The program has four sessions geared towards different attributes of the cooperative – the Riceland organization and business structure, rice milling, ag policy, and national issues.

This year’s farmer members are Bo Mason of Brinkley, AR; Charles Churchwell of Des Arc, AR; and Zane Clark of Broseley, MO. Riceland team members are Jack Morris, district manager for Corning, Dudley, Madrid, and Poplar Bluff; Austin Brown, sustainability manager; Adam Shea, director of sustainability; Bill Free, director of member relations; and Kevin McGilton, vice president of government affairs.

On Monday morning, the group convened at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and heard agency briefings from the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS), the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the Farm Service Agency (FAS), and the Economic Research Service (ERS). The class also received a briefing on the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and discussed rice industry-related topics, such as the devastating impact of India’s trade distorting practices on U.S. rice in both the domestic and international markets.

That afternoon, the class traveled to USA Rice headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and met with staff there who gave a comprehensive overview on the organization’s structure and work they do on behalf of the industry. Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president of international promotion, gave a presentation on international promotion activities; Peter Bachmann, USA Rice vice president of policy and government affairs and Jamison Cruce, senior director of government affairs, discussed trade policy and potential new farm bill policy; and Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications and domestic promotion, talked about current domestic promotion initiatives and marketing efforts to increase awareness of U.S. rice.

Day Two of the DC session kicked off with a discussion led by Chuck Conner, the CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, on the impact of 199A tax reform and the H2A program on cooperatives and farm families. Duck Unlimited’s Director of Public Policy Kellis Moss was on-hand to provide an update on rice industry conservation efforts.

On Capitol Hill, the class met with home-state legislators and their staffs from both the House and Senate to talk about the current state of the rice industry, how sky-high input costs are affecting farmers, and the need for ad hoc assistance. They also met with staff from the House Agriculture Committee to discuss farm bill policy and transportation concerns, specifically issues with shipping via rail.

"Cultivating the next generation of leaders is critical for ensuring future success, especially for the U.S. rice industry,” said Riceland’s Adam Shea. “The Riceland In-Depth Leadership Program gives our farmer members and team members a deeper understanding of the work our cooperative does, and it allows us to build up the next generation of leaders so we can continue to grow and produce sustainable, nutritious rice that feeds the world."