Rice-producing countries around the world are raising concerns over increasing pressure on their domestic sectors, highlighting a growing global challenge that is also significantly affecting Europe. There is therefore an urgent need for the European Union to move forward with safeguard mechanisms to ensure the survival of a historic sector in several Member States.
Information released this week shows that US policymakers have warned that surging imports and unfair trade practices from major international producers are eroding the domestic rice market and threatening farm viability, with imports increasing by more than 250% over the past two decades. Morocco has also recently launched a safeguard investigation after rice imports more than doubled in just a few years, causing serious harm to national production. The Philippines are already taking steps to activate protective measures in response to similar pressures.
These policy developments highlight a clear global trend: even competitive rice-producing countries are facing destabilising import surges and are seeking tools to ensure fair market conditions.
The European rice sector is not immune. Through a range of international agreements, the EU grants preferential access to its domestic market. As a result, imports from Cambodia, Myanmar, India, and Thailand have placed sustained pressure on EU producers, threatening a sector that is essential for rural employment, environmental stewardship, and the production of high-quality, sustainable food.
Ahead of next week’s European Parliament vote on the Generalised System of Preferences, European rice farmers are calling for a balanced and proportionate response by supporting a reduction of the threshold for the automatic safeguard agreed upon in the trilogue agreement in December 2025. The objective is not to restrict trade, but to ensure that the EU rice sector can continue to play its crucial role in maintaining vibrant rural areas and delivering high standards of food production.
Fonte: Copa & Cogeca
