CAN THO – Vietnam, one of the world’s leading rice exporters, imported over 4.5 million tons of rice last year, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).
The VFA’s 2024 activity report and 2025 orientation showed that total rice imports reached 4.52 million tons, including 3.8 million tons of paddy rice, with the remainder consisting of various types of rice and glutinous rice.
Cambodia and India were Vietnam’s primary rice import sources, contributing a combined 3.3 million tons. Cambodia supplied 2.73 million tons of paddy rice, making up 82.54% of total imports, while India accounted for 576,000 tons, or 12.74%.
Vietnam also sourced rice from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and other countries.
Paddy rice from Cambodia was mainly imported through border crossings in Long An and Dong Thap provinces, where it was processed and primarily used for re-export.
Lower-grade rice from India was utilized for noodle production, animal feed, and consumption by industrial park workers.
Despite the high volume of imports, Vietnam’s rice exports reached a record high in 2024. The country exported 9.03 million tons of rice worth nearly US$5.67 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11.1% in volume and 21.18% in value.
The average export price was US$627.19 per ton, up by 13.43% from 2023.
This marks the highest export volume ever recorded by Vietnam’s rice industry since it entered the global market in 1989.
The top four rice export markets for Vietnam in 2024 were the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Ghana.
