Philippines lowers rice import tax to 15%

The Philippines, one of the world’s largest rice buyers, has announced a reduction in rice import taxes from 35% to 15%, effective from early this August through 2028.

This can be seen as the latest action by the Philippine government to tackle inflation, especially increasing rice prices in the market so far this year.

In the first quarter of 2024, the Philippines’ economy was relatively stable, except for the price increase of some essential consumer goods, particularly rice, which saw an increase of about 24.4%. The rice prices account for approximately 9% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of the Southeast Asian country.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in the Philippines, Vietnam’s largest buyer to date, accounting for over 80% of the total rice imported into the Philippine market.

As of May 23, Vietnam exported 1.44 million tons of rice to the Philippines, accounting for 72.9% of the country’s total grain imports. The Philippines’ reduction of the rice import tax is said to increase opportunities for Vietnamese rice in the market.

Latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry, the Philippines’ total rice imports rose by 20.3% to 1.97 million tons in the reviewed period. The country’s total rice imports are estimated to reach about 4 million tonnes in 2024.