TAIPEI, TAIWAN – A group of Arkansas and California-based rice exporters, Taiwanese rice industry, and Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) met here earlier this week for the group’s 11th annual technical meeting.
“Our visit this week helped to further augment our many years of cooperation between the U.S., AFA, and Taiwanese rice importers," said California rice farmer Michael Rue who is chair of the USA Rice Asia Trade Policy Committee.
Both sides exchanged data regarding rice production, supply, and demand trends for the last several years along with projections for the 2026 crop. Additionally, the group discussed import and export flows and some of the market challenges, including freight reliability, maximum residue levels, and supply chain impacts for things like the bags rice is shipped in.
Taiwan joined the WTO in 2002 and began importing rice from the United States after establishing a U.S. country-specific quota (CSQ) in 2007. The current U.S. CSQ is 64,634 MT, with an overall annual import quota from all WTO members of 144,720 MT. Taiwan purchases primarily medium grain from both the South and California, but also purchases long grain, short grain, and fragrant rice from the United States.
Rue concluded by saying, "Taiwan continues to be a reliable market for high quality U.S. rice and we appreciate our longstanding relationships here. We anticipate static production for U.S. medium grain in 2026 and so we look forward to ensuring our U.S. rice business continues unhindered this year and hosting our counterparts in the U.S. next year.”