LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – A delegation of USA Rice members and staff traveled here last week to participate in the UK Rice Symposium and visit with local trade.
To kick-off the week, the USA Rice delegation met with S&P Global to for an update on the global rice supply-demand, price developments, and future projections, especially in light of India releasing its non-basmati rice back on the global stage. The group met with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to hear about current politics in the UK followed by a discussion with the UK’s Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on UK agricultural trade relations. The delegation then visited several stores in London’s Chinatown to showcase various U.S. rice brands and USA Rice marketing activities.
"Our marketing program here teams up with local importers to help support the sale of their brands, and in nearly every activity we do, whether it’s in store displays or online advertisements, we see an uptick in sales of U.S. rice,” said Mark Holt, a vice president at Western Foods who also chairs the USA Rice Europe, Africa, and Middle East Promotions Subcommittee. “It was great to see firsthand our activities influencing consumers with promotions.”
On Thursday, USA Rice sponsored the biannual
UK Rice Symposium, which is the most important gathering for the UK rice industry. USA Rice Chair Keith Glover gave welcoming remarks and Holt talked about current U.S. rice conditions, sustainability efforts, and the latest political context. USA Rice also held a side meeting with the Federation of European Rice Millers to continue strengthening relations with European counterparts.
U.S. milled rice enters the UK under a tariff rate quota (TRQ) which limits the amount of rice that can be imported duty-free to roughly 13,000 metric tons and adds cost for importers who buy U.S. rice. Meanwhile, all U.S. rice entering the UK outside of that milled rice TRQ is subject to varying duties on a per ton basis.
"In most of our key markets, the primary way we can improve market access is through the reduction in duties and other import prohibitive restrictions as part of a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA),” Glover explained. “It's unfortunate and frustrating that traditional FTAs are no longer being prioritized. Despite this, it's important that we maintain good relations with our counterparts in the UK and ensure smooth trade where we can."
The UK is the 18th largest export market for U.S. rice, valued at $16 million in 2023. It is one of the few markets that imports a wide variety of U.S. rice types including long grain milled, long grain parboiled, brown, and medium grain.