Exporters blame EU tariffs for 5 pct drop in rice shipments

13 Feb 2019 2053 | Business & Trade Fairs

Rice exports in January saw a small decline that exporters have blamed on the European Union’s decision last month to impose tariffs on local rice.

Last month, Cambodia exported 59,625 tonnes of rice to international markets, a 5 percent drop compared to January 2018, according to a report issued yesterday by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality.

The same report points out that the EU bought 20,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice in January, which is around 40 percent of all Cambodian rice exports. China bought about the same amount.

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In January, the European Commission decided to re-impose tariffs on rice coming from Cambodia and Myanmar to protect farmers in Europe, whom the European Union believed to be at a disadvantage.

During the first year, the EU is levying 175 euros ($199.5) per tonne on imports of Cambodian rice. 150 euros ($171) will be charged in the second year, and 125 euros ($142.5) in the last.