DA eyes imported rice restrictions

The Philippines is determining whether to ban the entry of five percent broken rice, the country's most commonly consumed imported variety, as part of proposed safeguard measures to protect the local rice sector from the surge in shipments from abroad.

- By DEXTER BARRO II

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said on Tuesday, June 30, that the government is considering banning imports of five-percent broken rice to help minimize the entry of foreign rice into the country.

In support of this, the Philippines may opt to allow only imports of 25-percent broken rice or varieties with even higher broken grain percentages, he said.

"Safeguard measures triggered through quantitative restrictions (QRS) is also an option," Tiu Laurel told Manila Bulletin when asked about the Department of Agriculture's (DA) planned measures to temper rice imports.

A QR limits the volume of rice that may be imported. Although the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) removed the Philippines' longstanding QRS on rice imports in favor of tariffs in 2019, such restrictions may still be imposed as a safeguard measure under Republic Act (RA) No. 8800 or the Safeguard Measures Act if increased imports are found to be causing serious injury to the domestic industry.