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

Oct 20, 2025

CROWLEY, LA – Tens of thousands of attendees to the 88th International Rice Festival (IRF), held here from Thursday through Sunday last week, experienced the theme, “Rice Reigns,” at every turn.

The word “rice,” and images of rice in all stages adorn every inch of this town, from the Rice Theatre in the center of town to the Rice Palace Restaurant and Acadia Rice Arena just north of town to the new city logo and the banners hanging from every light post. This is a town that appreciates the Louisiana rice industry and knows how to celebrate it.

The festival, the oldest and largest free agriculture festival in Louisiana, featured a midway with classic carnival rides and games, dozens of vendors, and every night concluded with performances from more than 20 local and national acts on two huge stages. Daytime events included road races, a Children’s Parade, a Grand Parade, the frog derby, an accordion and fiddle contest, a rice dressing eating contest (it took 24 servings to win this year), an arts and craft show, the popular rice threshing demonstration with Dr. Ronnie Levy, the competitive Rice & Creole Cooking Contest, and the main event, the crowning of the 88th International Rice Festival Queen.

Kinder’s Eric Unkel was named Rice Farmer of the Year, and while festival organizers ran him ragged all weekend, kicking off events and doing media interviews, a highlight for the third-generation rice farmer was clearly showering the adoring throngs with candy and Mardi Gras beads from atop an old grain cart chugging along during the Grand Parade. Also riding high in the parade was Katherine Richard, daughter of rice farmers Julie and Christian Richard who snagged the coveted Chef de Riz title and jacket in Friday’s cooking contest for her delicious “Pecan and Rice Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust and Pecan Glaze.”

Other members of the USA Rice family were at work behind the scenes with former USA Rice Chair Kirk Satterfield and his wife Bridget making the trip from Mississippi to attend their first IRF and serve as judges in the cooking contest. The couple carpooled with Arkansas rice farmers Jim and Lesli Whitaker who were also first-time attendees and had been tapped to serve as judges for the Queen’s pageant. USA Rice’s Michael Klein and Kane Webb also attended, with Klein serving as a cooking contest judge and Webb seeming to be in multiple places at the same time to keep things running smoothly.

Other festival honorees included Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and local heartthrob Joseph Doré, grandson of former USA Rice Millers’ Association (RMA) Chair Bill Doré, as the Junior Rice Farmer of the Year. Event sponsors Supreme Rice Mill and Cajun Country Rice presented awards to their mill workers of the year. Supreme Rice’s Danny Nugier presented awards to Rudy Rodriguez of the Crowley facility and Rita Hendrickson of the Mermentau location, and Falcon Rice Mill’s Dwayne Fulton honored Jenny Richmond.

The 87th International Rice Festival Queen, Alana Abshire of Crowley, held court for the final time, welcoming more than two dozen visiting festival queens from Texas and Louisiana and watching this year’s contest unfold before her.

In her farewell remarks, Queen Alana shared that of the previous 52 weekends, only six had been hers without official duties. She traveled more than 13,000 miles to promote the U.S. rice industry and spoke seriously about being a role model, and fondly recalled her time at the 2024 USA Rice Outlook Conference in Little Rock and the 125th RMA Convention in Colorado Springs last summer.

But there can be only one reigning IRF Queen at a time, and for only the second time in 88 years, the crown and honor was bestowed upon an Arkansan. Ansley Dawson from Jackson County, Arkansas was named the 88th International Rice Festival Queen. Dawson, the 48th Miss Arkansas Rice Festival Queen, was competing in Crowley for the second time, having been edged out of the top honor at last year’s festival.

“The town of Crowley is beautiful, and the people have been wonderful,” said Jim Whitaker from atop the parade viewing stand on Saturday. “I believe everyone in the rice industry should come to this festival to see how unique it is and how the community comes together to celebrate what we do. I felt welcomed and truly appreciated.”

Readers are encouraged to mark their calendars for the 89th International Rice Festival, October 16-18, 2026. In the meantime, tune in to the next episode of The Rice Stuff podcast to hear all about the 88th IRF from Abshire, Dawson, Unkel, Richard, the Satterfields, the Whitakers, and more.