Rice · ranking
The ten largest importing markets in the rice trade data, read from the seller’s side: where demand is biggest, how evenly it is spread and how to find who is buying.
| # | Market | Value | Volume | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $14.8B | — | 2024 |
| 2 | Mexico | $8.0B | — | 2024 |
| 3 | Egypt | $6.8B | — | 2024 |
| 4 | Indonesia | $6.8B | — | 2024 |
| 5 | Japan | $6.7B | — | 2024 |
| 6 | Vietnam | $5.5B | — | 2023 |
| 7 | Philippines | $5.1B | — | 2024 |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia | $5.1B | — | 2024 |
| 9 | Italy | $5.0B | — | 2024 |
| 10 | Spain | $4.9B | — | 2024 |
Ranking is for the whole of HS chapter 10 (cereals), reporter-declared, latest year available per market. Source: UN Comtrade.
China heads the list at $14.8B, ahead of Mexico at $8.0B. Then comes a near-plateau: Egypt and Indonesia both at $6.8B, Japan at $6.7B, Vietnam at $5.5B, and the Philippines and Saudi Arabia both at $5.1B. Italy follows at $5.0B and Spain closes the ten at $4.9B.
Importer demand is far less concentrated than the supply side of the same trade. The ten buyers together hold 46.1% of the ranked markets, out of 96 in the dataset. For a seller, that means no single market carries the trade and plenty of demand sits outside the top ten.
These values cover the whole of HS chapter 10, which is cereals. Rice is heading 1006, but the numbers include wheat, maize and other grains that a country may buy in far larger volume. A market that looks huge here may import little rice, while a smaller line for a rice-eating country could hide a real opportunity.
Import statistics are also reporter-declared and taken from the latest year each market has filed. Vietnam appears with a 2023 figure while most others are 2024, so its place is not exactly comparable. Where a country both re-exports and imports, its figure may include goods that do not stay there.
Buyers in different economies want different things, so the list is a starting point for sorting, not a target list. Some markets are large by value with several importers competing, others are led by a small number of state or large trading buyers. You will not learn which from a ranking, but shipment records show it quickly by listing who receives each consignment.
Before quoting, confirm the current import licence and phytosanitary requirements with the destination customs authority, the grain specification the buyer expects, the Incoterm, the currency and the payment method. These vary by destination and change over time.
Pick two or three countries from the table and pull customs shipment records for rice. Each record names the consignee, origin, quantity and declared value, which gives you a working list of active buyers and the origins they already use.
The free marketplace on the site also lets you list what you sell so importers can reach you, which is useful when you are a smaller seller unable to bid for the largest contracts.
China is first at $14.8B. Because the figure covers the whole of HS chapter 10, cereals, it reflects overall grain imports and should not be read as rice alone.
No. The ten importers hold 46.1% of ranked markets, while the ten exporters hold a much larger share. Demand is spread over many countries, so sellers have real options beyond the top ten.
Both appear at $6.8B at the rounding shown, so their order is effectively a tie. Saudi Arabia and the Philippines are in the same position at $5.1B.
Search shipment records under the rice heading for the destination you want. The records name the consignee, and you can approach them directly or list your offer on the free marketplace.
Keep exploring