A delegation of Louisiana state legislators, accompanied by Dr. Mike Strain, commissioner of agriculture and forestry, traveled to the United Kingdom last week to explore opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports. Rice was a central focus during their visit, as it is considered one of the products that could benefit from a trade agreement between the U.S. and UK.
The trip was organized with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service in London. The group received a detailed overview of the rice market in the UK, which covered both potential challenges and prospects for U.S. rice in various sales channels.
During their stay, members of the delegation met with representatives from the UK Rice Association to discuss current market trends. They also visited Wanis, an Afro-Caribbean wholesaler known for its Tropical Sun brand made with U.S.-sourced rice. Wanis has worked closely with USA Rice on several promotional efforts over recent years.
The UK imports about 700,000 to 750,000 metric tons of rice each year, most of which is basmati rice. However, due to a diverse population, there is also significant demand for long and medium grain varieties. Currently, U.S. rice accounts for only 2–3 percent of this market share because access is limited by a tariff-rate quota system that allows just under 13,000 metric tons of U.S. milled rice into the country duty-free each year. Any shipments above this quota face substantial tariffs: £121 per metric ton for milled rice and £25 per metric ton for brown rice.
“USA Rice continues to advocate for duty-free access for all types and forms of U.S.-origin rice under the proposed U.S.–UK Prosperity Deal, announced earlier this year and currently under negotiation by the Trump Administration,” said Karah Janevicius, USA Rice director for international trade policy.