MONTREAL, CANADA — Last week, in the wake of a continued push by Canada to diversify markets and suppliers, more than 800 exhibitors and 20,000 food professionals from across Canada and around the world descended on SIAL Canada, the agri-business accelerator to try new products, discover new companies, and look for opportunities to grow in an increasingly struggling global economy.
The event here officially kicked off in the USA Pavilion with the ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by Charge d’ Affaires Marybeth Turner and Consul General Robert Sanders, and USA Rice had a prominent corner position in the pavilion, making the case for why U.S. rice is still a good solution for foodservice and retail partners.
“The traffic to our booth was definitely lighter than in previous shows, but the people who did visit with us were quality information-seekers,” said Asiha Grigsby, senior director of international promotion for the Western Hemisphere, who led the team here that included regional consultants and a representative of USA Rice member TRC. “There was clearly recognition that the U.S. is a dependable and safe supplier, but price and Canadian consumer acceptance are short term considerations.”
For the first time, the USA Rice booth featured prominent promotional information on U.S. jasmine, and given the large Asian diaspora in Canada, Grigsby said there was marked interest from importers.
“It was particularly interesting to note that while the U.S. and Canadian governments have their differences, consumers on either side of the border are almost in lockstep,” said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications and strategic development who helped staff the booth. “Studies being discussed here show the top three food concerns for Canadian consumers are: cost, health risks associated with ultra processed food, and food safety. U.S.-grown rice has a strong answer for the latter two, and I think based on that strength, can justify the slightly higher price of our rice.”
Grigsby also attended a welcome reception hosted at the residence of Consul General Sanders in collaboration with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Charge d’ Affaires Turner acknowledged the important trade relationship between the United States and Canada who sustain the world’s largest bilateral agricultural trading relationship, accounting for more than $28 billion dollars in U.S. agricultural exports in 2025.
The event concluded with an abundant spread of various U.S. products, including U.S.-grown rice as a featured menu item in the form of arancini balls.
Canada remains a top five market for milled rice exports. They imported nearly 200,000 MT of rice valued at $148.1 million in 2025.