Vietnam aims to boost rice export to ASEAN

ABO/NDO – The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will coordinate with Vietnam’s trade offices in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to organise a consulting session on rice exports.

Vietnam’s Commercial Counselors in Indonesia and Laos, and officials in charge of commercial affairs in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, will inform about the host markets for Vietnamese rice exports.
Last year, the Philippines was Vietnam’s biggest rice buyer, importing 2.45 million tonnes worth over 1.25 billion USD.

Rice is packaged at a factory in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA).

In the first quarter of this year, the Philippines maintained its top position, making up 44.7 percent and 42.6 percent of Vietnam’s total rice export volume and value, respectively.

Apart from the Philippines, Vietnamese rice has also been exported to other major markets in the region like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.

Vietnam’s rice exports to Malaysia in January rose 163.4 percent and 156 percent in volume and value compared with the previous month, and 104 percent and 67.5 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The ministry held that to improve export efficiency, the sector should review rice demand in each ASEAN market, saying Vietnam should pay more attention to trade policies with regional countries, maximise advantages brought about free trade agreements between ASEAN and partners worldwide, and further improve its technological capacity to raise the competitiveness of goods.

(Source: NDO)