Philippines demand boosts Cambodia rice exports

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ growing demand for rice has fueled a sharp increase in Cambodian rice exports as Manila seeks to diversify its imported rice sources, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

In a report, the USDA said the Philippines has become Cambodia’s largest market for milled rice within the ASEAN region for 2026.

Philippine imports of milled rice from Cambodia totaled 122,102 metric tons from January to August, which was significantly higher compared to the 3,500 MT for the whole of 2025.

It also noted that Cambodia’s paddy rice exports to Vietnam fell by 13 percent in the first four months.

The USDA said the rise in milled rice shipments to the Philippines, the world’s biggest rice importer, coincided with a decline in paddy rice shipments to Vietnam.

“Official milled rice exports are growing quickly, as shipments to the Philippines rise while paddy shipments to Vietnam slow,” the international agency noted.

The report noted that Vietnam had traditionally milled Cambodian rice and re-exported it to the Philippines.

Hanoi had previously purchased wet paddy rice from Phnom Penh and processed it through domestic millers. The finished products were then re-exported to the Philippines.

The USDA, however, said the Philippines has been diversifying its suppliers and procuring milled rice directly from Cambodia, causing reduced demand from Vietnamese mills.

“Shifting from raw paddy to milled rice exports also allows Cambodian millers to capture more value along the supply chain,” it added.

The USDA said that bulk orders from the Philippines have allowed Cambodia to lower costs per ton and shorten delivery times compared to containerized cargo.

Further expansion in exports to the Philippines may be gradual and reliant on Phnom Penh maintaining competitive prices, the international agency said, citing industry sources.

“Manila’s expanded import allocations and government-backed credit are also supporting this trade,” it said.

It added that another 87,344 MT has already been contracted for delivery to the Philippines from September through December, which could bring total shipments to about 209,000 MT.

abtestabtest ASEAN Summit and international trade By Bienvenido Oplas Jr. | 5 hours ago The ASEAN Summit and Related Summit meetings of heads of state, presidents and prime ministers of some 20 countries, is fast... Business JP Morgan to Ayala: Sell smaller units, take property arm private By Richmond Mercurio | 1 day ago J.P. Morgan has commended Ayala Corp.’s sharper portfolio management under president and CEO Cezar Consing, with the... Business KFC Philippines expands solar footprint to 87 locations 2 days ago KFC Philippines continues to strengthen its commitment to more sustainable restaurant operations, with 87 locations nationwide... Business ‘No rate cuts yet’ By Keisha Ta-Asan | 1 day ago The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is not yet considering interest rate cuts as monetary tightening remains necessary to... Business ‘Insurance demand slowing as high costs squeeze budget’ By Keisha Ta-Asan | 2 days ago Rising cost of living is forcing more Filipinos to put off life insurance purchases, while some business owners are withdrawing... Business Latest More in Business PAL swings to net loss in 9 months PEZA bullish on record-high P320 billion investment approvals Petron profit slides to P5.4 billion in 9 months Unilab leads Philippines firms in TIME Asia-Pacific’s Best Employers abtest BOC eyes 'super green lane' for small businesses, exporters 16 hours ago Business UnionBank CEO in Forbes Asia’s 2026 Power Businesswomen list By Richmond Mercurio | 1 day ago Union Bank of the Philippines president and CEO Ana Maria Aboitiz Delgado has been named among Forbes Asia’s 20 outstanding... Business PSEi retreats on cautious trading By Richmond Mercurio | 1 day ago The local stock market finished in the negative territory on its return from a holiday break, as investors stayed cautious... Business DBP feted in AsPac tilt for key projects 1 day ago State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) bagged three awards from an international group of financial institutions... Business Recommended next OK Are you sure you want to log out? Yes No X Login Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. Sign up now!