SHANGHAI, CHINA – China is the largest producer, importer, and consumer of rice – and has been an intriguing market for U.S. rice. After more than a decade of regulatory and political effort, U.S. rice obtained market access to China in 2019 with the first commercial shipment in 2020.
For years, USA Rice has engaged with the Chinese rice industry to facilitate additional sales and imports while also conducting efforts in consumer education to promote and build demand for U.S. rice. As a result, consumer awareness and preference have led to an increase in the availability of U.S. rice retail brands.
Taobao, a leading e-commerce platform in China, now sources many U.S. rice varieties and brands, including long grain, medium grain, jasmine, brown, red rice, purple rice, sweet rice, and organic rice. Some products are sold through a purchasing agent from Hong Kong to China.
“There are now four brands and thirteen types of U.S. rice products available on Taobao,” said Steven Chu, manager of USA Rice promotions in Asia. “This has dramatically increased compared to just one brand and four U.S. rice products two years ago.”
The package size ranges from 900 grams to 4.5 kilograms, and the unit price per bag is between US$10 to US$36.