HCMC — Vietnam and Singapore on October 30 signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on rice trade during the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in South Korea, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties and ensure regional food security.
The agreement aims to promote stable and sustainable rice trade between the two countries by avoiding unnecessary trade restrictions, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Vietnam will facilitate rice exports to Singapore based on the volume agreed by both sides and Singapore’s specific demand.
Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said the deal is a concrete step in advancing the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He added that both countries would continue to expand cooperation in high-quality agricultural and food products.
Grace Fu, Singapore’s minister for Sustainability and the Environment and minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, said it was the first rice trade agreement Singapore had signed with another country. She said Singapore, which imports more than 90% of its food, aims to build regional and global partnerships to secure stable rice supplies and enhance food security.
Data from Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) showed that the nation imported about SGD347.5 million worth of rice in the first nine months of 2025, up 3.4% from a year earlier. Vietnam is Singapore’s third-largest rice supplier, after India and Thailand.
