USA rice and Brazil rice industry sharing trade concerns over India

Brazil is the largest producer of rice in South America with economies of scale supporting robust irrigated production in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul. USDA estimates in marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Brazil produced nearly 8.7 million metric tons (MT) milled basis. While an increasing competitor to U.S. rice in traditional Western Hemisphere markets, Brazil consumes most of what it produces, exporting only 1.15 million MT milled basis in MY24/25.

In addition to the impacts seen and felt by U.S. rice farmers, Brazilian rice farmers have been impacted by India’s trade distorting practices that create downward trends in global market prices, making higher quality rice grown in the Western Hemisphere less competitive. With India’s resurgence in the export market following a year-long export ban, the effects are much more alarming, and has led to the reintroduction of Brazil’s historic PEP and PEPRO programs to support prices (see USA Rice Daily, November 20, 2025).

“It was a great opportunity to meet with our counterparts at ABIARROZ to forge this new partnership,” said California rice farmer and Vice Chair of USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee, Michael Rue. “Despite being competitors, our two industries have a lot more in common in shared concerns over the enforcement of WTO commitments that lead to a level playing field for growers everywhere to compete.”

The meeting was part of a larger effort by USA Rice to build a coalition of like-minded rice industries to elevate the shared concerns in international trade. Just prior to the meeting in Brazil, a USA Rice representative met with an industry counterpart in Uruguay, and in November 2025, USA Rice met with rice industries in both Paraguay and Argentina (see USA Rice Daily, November 21, 2025).

Rue continued, “We recognize the shared challenges won’t be solved overnight and look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with our like-minded partners in the Hemisphere to increase awareness of our unified concerns in the international trading system.”