Private sector imports of tariffed rice to Japan in May were 3.5 times the total volume brought in during all of fiscal 2024, revised government trade data showed Friday, as soaring prices of domestic rice have spurred demand for cheaper alternatives.
According to the Finance Ministry's trade statistics, revised from a preliminary report issued earlier this month, 10,605 tons of tariffed rice were imported in May, a sharp increase from 115 tons in the same period last year. The United States, which accounted for 7,894 tons, was the largest source, followed by Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Prices of domestic rice have continued to surge due in part to a supply shortage, with an auction system initially employed by the government to release its stockpiles blamed for further inflating prices.
Yasufumi Miwa, an expert on agriculture at the Japan Research Institute, noted that private imports may soon decline as the government has been selling stockpiled rice via direct contracts with retailers since late May, helping to ease prices.
But Miwa warned that they may rise again if the price of newly harvested rice stays in the range of 4,000 yen per 5 kilograms.
Japan currently imports 770,000 tons of rice annually tariff-free under its minimum access commitment based on World Trade Organization rules. Of that, up to 100,000 tons is used for human consumption.
As the recent surge in rice imports falls outside this quota, they are subject to a tariff of 341 yen per kg.
© KYODO
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Blacklabel
of tariffed rice. Great news!
sakurasuki
That what Japanese consumer need to pay outside 8% tax for food, 341 yen/kg that's 1750 yen for 5kg or 3410 yen for 10 kg, that's only for tariffs not the price of actual rice. How about total cost, just imagine that.
.
While price of Thai rice in Cape Town only cost 2800 yen for 10 kg which already includes everything, that in premium store, in ethnic store it can be much cheaper. Also take account that South Africa distance to Thailand is more than twice, compared to distance from Japan to Thailand.
https://marketkokoro.co.za/product/heaven-horses-jasmine-thai-hom-mali-rice-10kg/
or
Australian Carlose price in South Africa, 9600 yen for 25 kg or 3840 kg for 10 kg
https://helloasia.co.za/products/sunwhite-australian-calrose-medium-grain-sushi-rice-25kg
JD
Why have the tariff Japan? Oh, I forgot, you want to protect Japanese rice. Then don't cry and whine when the US wants to protect American cars.
sakurasuki
Yet, Japan still confused why trade negotiation still doesn't work after 7th time.
SomeWeeb
So there was never really a shortage after all. Capitalism!
deanzaZZR
Imagine how much cheaper the final price would be for the Japanese consumer with zero or a more normal lower tariff rate.
This is good for the Japanese consumer and the California (maybe Arkansas) rice farmer. Win, win.
Paul Geiger
Never mind the rice price in South Africa - interesting but not for Japan.
In Thailand good quality costs about 1000 Yen in the shop for 5 KG ! Wholesale/export prices would be much lower.
This whole thing is an embarrassment for Japan, many overseas news outlets have run stories
didou
The same Thai rice was 2000 yens cheaper last year in my supermarket. The actual price has nothing to do with import taxes, but has been adjusted to fit with the japanese price
didou
I was in South Africa recently and saw 5kg of Thai at about 1000 yens
Garlic eater
And if anyone is still eating rice in Japan after all this I am speechless.
Plenty of alternatives will make an equally or even more delicious meal. Frankly, there isn’t any necessity to eat rice at all.
Instead of complaining about the price, just give it up will you?
Harry_Gatto
It all depends where you live and who you know; here in the inaka we were given 2x 50kg bags of rice earlier this year and just take a few kg to our local roadside rice polishing machine as and when necessary.
CaptDingleheimer
For visualization references:
The 7,894 tons from the US alone would fill 282 standard 40-foot shipping containers.
A large container ship can carry 12,000 such containers.
A large mainstream supermarket in a busy area might sell 20 tons of rice per week (200 5K bags = 1 ton). That's 2.8 tons per day, reaching our 7,894 tons in 3 days.
So while 282 shipping containers sounds like (and is) a lot, it's really only what a single, big Aeon supermarket in metro Kansai might sell in 3 days.
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Agent_Neo
No matter how cheap it is, you don't need contaminated rice.
"Detectable levels of arsenic found in 105 varieties of rice"
According to a report by Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, a portal site for protecting babies from harmful chemicals, all 105 varieties of rice tested in U.S. grocery stores contained detectable levels of arsenic. This includes products sold at major supermarket chains Trader Joe's and Walmart. In addition, more than a quarter of the samples of infant rice cereal contained arsenic (100 ppb), exceeding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit.
In addition, traces of inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury were also detected in some rice products. Heavy metal content varies depending on the origin of the rice. For example, white rice from California and jasmine rice from Thailand had lower heavy metal content than brown rice and white rice from the southeastern United States.