HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s rice exports in the first seven months of 2025 reached 5.5 million tonnes worth US$2.81 billion - up 3.1 per cent in volume but down 15.9 per cent in value year-on-year, according to the newly released July sector report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The rice trade surplus, however, came to US$1.81 billion, a 30 per cent drop from the same period last year. This means that in just seven months, Việt Nam spent as much as US$1 billion on rice imports, bringing down the sector’s surplus.

In June, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a forecast: Việt Nam could become the world’s second-largest rice importer (after the Philippines) with imports projected to hit a record 4.1 million tonnes. 

In 2024, Việt Nam was the world’s third-largest rice importer, bringing in 3.2 million tonnes worth US$1.2 billion - a figure that surprised many given the country’s status as a major rice exporter.

Speaking to newspaper Người Lao Động, Đỗ Hà Nam, chairman of the Việt Nam Food Association (VFA), said domestic figures still needed verification. He noted that USDA statistics lumped together paddy and milled rice, without converting paddy into milled rice equivalents, the average milling rate is about 55 per cent, so the USDA’s numbers could be significantly off.

Việt Nam mainly imports paddy from Cambodia for processing and re-export. Much of this paddy is grown on land in Cambodia leased by Vietnamese farmers.

The country also imports milled rice from India for making noodles, rice paper, and other products, as local farmers have shifted to growing higher-value fragrant rice varieties.

“Việt Nam’s rice imports are not driven by shortages, and overall, the trade benefits outweigh the concerns,” said the VFA chairman. VNS