Thailand, Vietnam vie to grow rice market share in the Philippines

BANGKOK -- Leading rice exporters Thailand and Vietnam are competing to gain a larger market share in the Philippines, where poor harvests have forced Manila to ramp up imports and slash tariffs to tame local prices.

The Philippines, the world's biggest rice importer, is forecast to ship in up to 4.1 million tonnes of the grain this year after bringing in 3.2 million tonnes in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).