HCMC – Vietnam exported more than 8.06 million tons of rice last year, with the Philippines as the largest buyer importing more than 3.2 million tons and accounting for around 40% of Vietnam’s total rice exports.
According to data released by Vietnam Customs, rice exports in December 2025 reached 522,387 tons worth nearly US$248.8 million, up 39.6% in volume and 30.8% in value month-on-month.
The December performance brought Vietnam’s total rice exports in 2025 to over 8.06 million tons, valued at over US$4.1 billion. However, this represented a year-on-year decline of 10.8% in volume and 27.6% in export value compared to 2024.
The average export price of Vietnamese rice in 2025 stood at nearly US$509 per ton, down sharply from US$627.2 per ton in 2024. This meant that each ton of rice exported in 2025 was sold at about US$118.2 less than a year earlier on average.
By market, the Philippines continued to be Vietnam’s largest rice importer. In December 2025 alone, Vietnam shipped more than 198,000 tons of rice to the Philippines, worth over US$91 million, accounting for nearly 38% of total export volume and 36.6% of export value for the month.
Notably, the Philippines was still enforcing a rice import ban in December 2025. However, the shipments recorded by Vietnam Customs during this period were due largely to exporters rushing to clear goods from ports to ensure delivery in January 2026, when the Philippine market is reopened.
As a result, Vietnam’s total rice exports to the Philippines in 2025 reached more than 3.2 million tons, valued at over US$1.57 billion, making up 40% of total export volume and 38.3% of total export value for the year. The average export price to the Philippines was US$490.3 per ton, significantly lower than the national average.
Beyond the Philippines, Vietnam exported nearly 1.06 million tons of rice to Ivory Coast in 2025, worth over US$478 million, accounting for 13.1% of total volume and 11.6% of total value. Exports to Ghana reached 919,000 tons valued at nearly US$514 million, while China imported 747,000 tons worth almost US$374 million. Malaysia followed with 515,000 tons valued at nearly US$240 million.
These four markets together accounted for 40.2% of total export volume and 39.1% of total export value in 2025. When combined with the Philippines, the five largest markets made up 80.2% of export volume and 77.4% of export value.
In contrast, Indonesia, which was a major importer of Vietnamese rice in 2024, sharply reduced purchases in 2025, importing only 47,315 tons worth US$21.6 million.
The year 2025 was marked by significant volatility for Vietnam’s rice sector and the global rice market, as many importing countries had lower import demand. The Philippines, in particular, imposed an import ban from September 1 through the end of 2025.
Entering 2026, the Philippines has reopened its market and introduced a new tax policy, raising the rice import duty from 15% to 20% starting January 1, 2026. The tax rate may be further adjusted if prices of Vietnam’s 5% broken rice fluctuate, as Vietnam has been selected as the reference country for tax calculation.
Meanwhile, despite the lack of official statistics, some reports indicate that in the first nine months of 2025 alone, Vietnam spent around US$1.5 billion on rice imports, with Cambodia emerging as the largest supplier.
