The Philippines has initiated a global safeguard investigation into imported rice, citing rapid growth in imports that threatens the domestic rice industry. Vietnam, as the country’s largest rice supplier, is closely monitoring the situation.
On April 7, the Trade Remedies Authority under Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that the Philippine Department of Agriculture has launched a preliminary investigation for applying global safeguard measures on rice imports. The investigation, requested by local producers, covers the period from 2020 to August 2025.
The authorities in the Philippines have expressed concern that the surge in imported rice may cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to domestic rice production.
 "Rice exports in the Mekong Delta. (Illustrative photo: SGGP)")
The Philippines is currently Vietnam’s largest export market for rice. In 2025, Vietnam shipped approximately 2.76 million tons of rice to the country. In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam exported 2.3 million tons, with the Philippines accounting for about 52.6 percent of that volume.
According to Vietnam’s Trade Remedies Authority, it will closely monitor the investigation and coordinate with relevant agencies to support domestic exporters. The authority urged industry associations and rice exporters to review their export data, production capacity, costs, and selling prices during the investigation period to be ready to provide the requested information.
Businesses are advised to proactively register with Philippine investigators, respond fully to questionnaires, and cooperate throughout the investigation. Failure to provide complete information or cooperate may result in adverse findings.
If necessary, exporters may work with lawyers or consulting firms to ensure their documents and data meet technical requirements for the case.
