Japan's private-sector rice imports surge in first half of 2025

By Kaori Kaneko

TOKYO, July 30 (Reuters) - Japan's rice imports by private companies surged in the first half of this year to total 40 times more than the amount for all of 2024 due to strong demand for alternatives to expensive home-grown rice, finance ministry data showed on Wednesday.

Companies including trading firms and wholesalers imported some 40,605 metric tons of staple rice despite the steep tariffs Japan imposes to protect its market, the data showed. More than 70% was from the United States.

Japan imposes a levy of 341 yen ($2.30) per kg of rice beyond the tariff-free quota of 770,000 tons agreed under a World Trade Organization "minimum access" framework. But a doubling in domestic rice prices since last year has rendered imports cheaper even with the levies, boosting demand.

Last year, just 1,008 tons of staple rice was imported through private channels. Imports for the first six months of this year is still a drop in the bucket against the roughly 7 million tons of rice consumed annually in Japan.

Japanese rice prices are at multi-decade highs as an extreme heatwave damaged the 2023 harvest and contributed to a shortage. The government's release of emergency rice from its stockpile since March has helped lower prices somewhat, but private imports have continued to surge.

The recent flood of imports come as Japan agreed a deal with Washington to import more U.S. rice as part of a tariff deal that lowered "reciprocal" tariffs imposed on Japan to 15% from a previously threatened 25%.

Japan has said it would boost the portion of U.S. rice it imports but stay within the tariff-free framework, and ensure that it does not enter the domestic market for staple rice.

($1 = 148.0000 yen)