Cambodia, which exports half of its rice production to Vietnam, is seeking to export directly its surplus harvest to the Philippines, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)I .
Newly confirmed DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual met today, Feb. 2, with high-level Cambodian delegation led by Madam Sreyroth, undersecretary of ministry of commerce of Cambodia, and H.E. Chan Sokty, delegate of he Royal Government of Cambodia and CEO of state-owned Green Trade Co.
Ifever the Cambodia rice deal will be pursued, Pascual said the importation arrangement can be done between the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) and its Cambodian counterpart Green Trade Co.
He said that a direct government to government transaction could mean cheaper cost in rice imports for the Philippines.
DTI Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo also shared that the delegation conveyed that they have been selling three million tons surplus rice each year. The delegation wishes that to increase milled rice export to the Philippines.
This time, Rodolfo said, Cambodia would like to have a steady market by directly exporting to the Philippines through PITC. A government to government arrangement is also being considered by the Cambodian delegation in light of the fact that the Philippines has already liberalized rice importation by replacing it with 35 percent tariff.
The Philippines imported 3.79 million metric tons (MMT) of rice in 2022, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry. The 2022 importation was 37 percent higher than the 2.77 MMT recorded in 2021. Imports as of Dec. 29, 2022 totaled 3,791,878 MT, 83 percent of which or 3.16 MMT came from Vietnam.
In addition, Cambodia’s rice exports are geared for the EU markets. Thus, they are conducting a market survey in the Philippines to further diversify their exports market. They are also producing different varieties of rice, including the high-quality rice.
Pascual said the DTI was the first stop of the Cambodian delegation’s mission in the Philippines on the ASEAN country’s efforts for the export potential of rice as half of its annual production is already surplus.
“They just requested to call on me,” he said.
“They want to export here because their rice seeds were sourced from the Philippines 20 years ago,” said Pascual.