By Sarah Moran, USA Rice
U.S. rice imports here have been growing for many years. The 2012 U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) ushered in a tariff rate quota (TRQ) of duty-free U.S. rice which positioned Colombia as a top ten export market. Access to the U.S. TRQ has historically been provided through three annual auctions that award import certificates.
U.S. rice exports to Colombia in 2020 increased by 12 percent over 2019 levels, due in large part to a surge in consumer purchase as Colombia announced strict pandemic restrictions.