Singapore is third largest buyer of Vietnamese rice
VOV.VN - Vietnam is currently the third largest rice supplier to Singapore, holding a significant market share in the categories of white non-glutinous rice and fragrant milled/peeled rice, says the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, citing data from the Singapore Business Federation.
In the first half of 2025, Singapore spent SGD60.9 million (nearly US$48 million) on Vietnamese rice imports, representing a year-on-year decline of 17.1%, yet still accounting for 24.5% of its total rice import market share. The decline is attributed to a drop in Vietnam’s rice export prices in the period, with an average price estimated at US$517.5 per tonne, down 18.4% from the previous year.
White milled rice is the top imported rice product from Vietnam, with an import value of SGD38.6 million, up 11.9% compared to the same period last year, and making up 29.6% of the market share. Despite Singapore sourcing white rice from over 20 countries, Vietnam holds the second largest market share after India (46.7%).
In addition, Vietnam leads in supplying fragrant milled/peeled rice and glutinous rice to Singapore, with import values of SGD15.5 million and SGD4.7 million respectively, capturing 57% and 61% of the market share in these categories. However, import values for these rice types from Vietnam show a declining trend compared to the first half of 2024.
The Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore reports that Singapore’s total rice imports in the first half of 2025 hit approximately SGD248.9 million, an increase of 10.8% from the same period last year. Demand for white non-glutinous rice continues to rise strongly, reaching SGD130 million and accounting for nearly 52.4% of the country’s total rice imports.
Regarding suppliers, India remains Singapore’s largest rice exporter with imports valued at SGD87.8 million, or 35.3% market share, mainly white non-glutinous and parboiled rice. Thailand is the second largest supplier with SGD76.2 million in imports, holding 30.6% market share, primarily exporting Hom Mali white rice.
The Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore notes that while the rice import market is stable, Vietnamese rice will face strong competition from India, Thailand, and Japan. The proposed bilateral trade agreement between Singapore and Vietnam on rice trade is expected to help stabilise Vietnam’s rice exports to Singapore in the near future.
Vietnamese rice export prices rebound after downturn
VOV.VN - Vietnam’s rice export prices have shown signs of recovery following a prolonged decline, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).
