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

USA Rice member Michael Bosworth with the newest entries in the market bearing the GITUSA badge

Apr 09, 2025

ARLINGTON, VA – You know it when you see it. The U.S. rice industry’s “Grown in the USA” (GITUSA) mark has been around for decades. It signifies to consumers that the rice contents of the package bearing the mark was 100 percent U.S.-grown. Last year, USA Rice undertook a multi-year effort to breathe new life into the mark (see USA Rice Daily, June 14, 2024).

The new mark, called “GITUSA Badge,” is only available to USA Rice members that are committed to supporting the industry’s broader climate and sustainability goals and foodservice partners by special arrangement.

“We were driven to update the mark by feedback from restaurant partners, and we’re thrilled that diners will soon start seeing GITUSA Badge on menus, in-store, on websites, and social pages of our foodservice friends,” said Cameron Jacobs, vice president of domestic promotion for USA Rice. “But now grocery shoppers are seeing it too, and that is very exciting.”

Several producers and companies have begun implementing the GITUSA Badge onto their package designs.

“We were working on a new bag design but waited until the new GITUSA mark was finished and approved before running them,” explained Meagan Schneider, co-owner of Inland Cape Rice Company of Missouri. “We are now packing all of our 25s and 50s for food service and 2lb bags for retail with the logo on them!”

At the Natural Products Expo West food show earlier this year, California-based True Origin Foods, rolled out two new products bearing GITUSA Badge prominently on the front of the package.

“Our Brown Jasmine & Wild Rice Fusion is a blend of brown, jasmine, wild rice, red rice, and brown sweet rice, and our organic quick cooking brown Calrose were the first to get the new mark,” said CEO and farmer Michael Bosworth. “The feedback we received at the show was overwhelmingly positive and we’re looking forward to expanding our use of the mark.”

Jacobs said the more the mark is put into use, the faster the story of sustainably-grown U.S. rice will spread.

“Every bag of rice on a store shelf, every menu call-out or tabletop tent will amplify our message of delicious, nutritious rice, grown the right way, here at home,” he said.

“The farmers who sell their rice to us already walk in the grocery stores with pride seeing their rice on the shelves,” said Sam Schneider, farmer and co-owner of Inland Cape Rice Company. “Seeing that new mark on there just makes it even more special.”

Companies interested in becoming licensees of the GITUSA Badge mark should reach out to Cameron Jacobs.