USA Rice Is Ready As China Reopens

By Sarah Moran

USA Rice

BEIJING, CHINA – Due to a strict zero-COVID policy, USA Rice has been unable to travel to China for the past several years. Those restrictions are now being relaxed and USA Rice contractors made an in-person trip here last month to meet with COFCO Group Beijing International Trading Co., Ltd (BDH) and China Agricultural Association for International Exchange (CAAIE).

U.S. rice production was discussed as was the outlook for China’s imports. USA Rice will continue to cooperate with CAAIE on conferences targeting the rice audience in China.

China is the largest market for U.S. agricultural and related exports, yet exports of U.S. rice have been limited to just a few containers. China imports more than 5.5 million tons of rice each year to meet its annual consumption needs of 155 million tons. They remain the world’s largest rice producer and rice importer, and are steadily becoming a top rice exporter, at 2.2 million tons.

“The China market has great potential for U.S. rice, yet we have not seen the level of trade we expected to see at this point,” said Jim Guinn, USA Rice director of Asia promotion programs. “USA Rice continues to reach out to COFCO and other rice importers to keep U.S. rice top of mind and to provide regular information on the crop. We are also engaged in organizing trade missions when the opportunity arises, and we facilitate meetings between our exporters and rice importers in China whenever possible.”