Over a 5-year timespan, the value of globally exported rice rose by 40.5% from the $24.1 billion worth of rice shipped during 2019.
The top 5 rice exporting countries (India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States of America) exceeded two-thirds (71.4%) of the global value for rice exports during 2023.
From a continental perspective, over three-quarters (78.2%) of worldwide rice exports originated from Asian countries with shipments amounting to $26.5 billion during 2023. Exporters in Europe supplied 8.1% of the overall total, trailed by suppliers in North America (6.1%) tied with Latin America (also 6.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Tinier percentages came from sellers located in Oceania (0.83%) mostly Australia and Africa (0.75%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for rice is 1006.
Rice Exports by Country
The 15 countries listed below exported the highest dollar value worth of rice during 2023.
- India: US$10.5 billion (30.8% of total rice exports)
- Thailand: $5.1 billion (15.1%)
- Vietnam: $3.8 billion (11.1%)
- Pakistan: $2.9 billion (8.4%)
- United States: $2 billion (5.9%)
- Cambodia: $1.9 billion (5.5%)
- mainland China: $983.8 million (2.9%)
- Italy: $968.2 million (2.9%)
- Myanmar: $743.5 million (2.2%)
- Brazil: $621.5 million (1.8%)
- Uruguay: $596.4 million (1.8%)
- Belgium: $468.3 million (1.4%)
- Paraguay: $414.9 million (1.2%)
- Netherlands: $413.9 million (1.2%)
- Australia: $281.8 million (0.8%)
By value, the above 15 countries were responsible for 93.2% of globally exported rice in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing rice exporters since 2022 were: Cambodia (up 351.7%), Paraguay (up 41.4%), Thailand (up 29.2%) and Australia (up 28.8%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported rice sales were led by: Belgium (down -9.2% from 2022), Myanmar (down -5.5%), Brazil (down -5.5%), mainland China (down -4.8%) and India (down -2.8%).
Countries Generating Highest Surpluses Trading Rice
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for rice during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s rice exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- India: US$10.5 billion (net export surplus down -2.8% since 2022)
- Thailand: $5.1 billion (up 29.1%)
- Vietnam: $3 billion (up 21.2%)
- Pakistan: $2.8 billion (up 22%)
- Cambodia: $1.9 billion (up 353.8%)
- Myanmar: $740.1 million (down -5.9%)
- Italy: $660.3 million (up 49.3%)
- Uruguay: $593.8 million (up 19.4%)
- United States of America: $592.9 million (up 98.9%)
- Paraguay: $414 million (up 41.5%)
- Guyana: $240.3 million (up 16.1%)
- Argentina: $123.8 million (down -14.9%)
- Brazil: $92.1 million (down -70%)
- Australia: $60.1 million (reversing a -$12 million deficit)
- Greece: $59.9 million (up 10.6%)
In 2023, the economic powerhouse India continued to be the leading exporter generating the highest surplus in the international trade of rice. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms India’s strong competitive advantage in selling rice on global markets.
Countries Incurring Greatest Deficits Trading Rice
The following countries posted the biggest negative net exports for rice during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s rice import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Indonesia: -US$1.8 billion (net export deficit up 793.2% since 2022)
- Philippines: -$1.6 billion (up 28.5%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$1.5 billion (up 11.1%)
- Iraq: -$1.3 billion (up 20.4%)
- Malaysia: -$771.3 million (up 36.6%)
- Iran: -$732.6 million (down -64.3%)
- Ivory Coast: -$711.7 million (down -10.4%)
- United Kingdom: -$686.6 million (up 25.6%)
- Japan: -$676.1 million (up 10.3%)
- Benin: -$649.5 million (up 2.3%)
- Senegal: -$632.1 million (up 22%)
- France: -$630.9 million (up 5.4%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$591 million (up 25.1%)
- South Africa: -$536.3 million (up 39.9%)
- Canada: -$471.8 million (up 0.2%)
Highly populous Indonesia incurred the greatest amount of red ink from trading rice on global markets during 2023. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights both Indonesia’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for rice-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Searchable List of Rice Exporting Countries in 2023
Below, you will find a searchable table listing the value of rice exported by individual countries during 2023. Also presented is the annual percentage change in export revenues for each exporting nation.
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.
| Rank | Exporter | Rice Exports (US$) | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | India | $10,462,013,000 | -2.8% |
| 2. | Thailand | $5,115,919,000 | +29.2% |
| 3. | Vietnam | $3,777,516,000 | +18.3% |
| 4. | Pakistan | $2,860,636,000 | +21.6% |
| 5. | United States | $2,015,459,000 | +18.3% |
| 6. | Cambodia | $1,878,995,000 | +351.7% |
| 7. | mainland China | $983,750,000 | -4.8% |
| 8. | Italy | $968,228,000 | +21.4% |
| 9. | Myanmar | $743,513,000 | -5.5% |
| 10. | Brazil | $621,463,000 | -5.5% |
| 11. | Uruguay | $596,379,000 | +19.7% |
| 12. | Belgium | $468,324,000 | -9.2% |
| 13. | Paraguay | $414,880,000 | +41.4% |
| 14. | Netherlands | $413,879,000 | +6.7% |
| 15. | Australia | $281,785,000 | +28.8% |
| 16. | Guyana | $240,679,000 | +16.2% |
| 17. | Spain | $218,321,000 | -8.3% |
| 18. | Türkiye | $178,425,000 | +15.8% |
| 19. | Tanzania | $126,293,000 | -31.2% |
| 20. | Argentina | $124,374,000 | -15.1% |
| 21. | South Africa | $98,464,000 | +3.7% |
| 22. | Bulgaria | $92,083,000 | -3.3% |
| 23. | Portugal | $91,504,000 | -2% |
| 24. | Greece | $89,057,000 | +8.1% |
| 25. | Taiwan | $88,690,000 | +10% |
| 26. | Singapore | $81,924,000 | +45.4% |
| 27. | Germany | $78,032,000 | +11.6% |
| 28. | United Arab Emirates | $77,448,000 | +5.7% |
| 29. | Japan | $69,565,000 | +21.5% |
| 30. | Poland | $66,327,000 | +13.2% |
| 31. | United Kingdom | $63,345,000 | +11.6% |
| 32. | Malaysia | $48,555,000 | +8.2% |
| 33. | France | $47,001,000 | -19.2% |
| 34. | Canada | $37,130,000 | +28.5% |
| 35. | Kazakhstan | $36,333,000 | -31.4% |
| 36. | South Korea | $35,499,000 | +89% |
| 37. | Czech Republic | $29,803,000 | +0.1% |
| 38. | Romania | $26,145,000 | -17.6% |
| 39. | Laos | $23,523,000 | -52.4% |
| 40. | Suriname | $23,013,000 | -8% |
| 41. | Russia | $22,046,000 | -36.3% |
| 42. | Lithuania | $15,352,000 | +35.7% |
| 43. | Denmark | $11,766,000 | +1.3% |
| 44. | Hong Kong | $10,935,000 | +0.1% |
| 45. | Ivory Coast | $10,478,000 | -34.8% |
| 46. | El Salvador | $9,953,000 | +96.4% |
| 47. | Lebanon | $9,768,000 | +543.1% |
| 48. | Sri Lanka | $9,514,000 | +57.3% |
| 49. | Hungary | $9,311,000 | +19.1% |
| 50. | Costa Rica | $8,981,000 | +8.1% |
| 51. | Slovakia | $8,762,000 | +119.4% |
| 52. | Austria | $8,172,000 | +19.4% |
| 53. | North Macedonia | $8,167,000 | -13.1% |
| 54. | Bangladesh | $8,127,000 | -52.4% |
| 55. | Peru | $6,665,000 | -50.3% |
| 56. | Mexico | $6,482,000 | +99.8% |
| 57. | Ecuador | $4,243,000 | -84.9% |
| 58. | Ireland | $4,213,000 | +252.6% |
| 59. | Iran | $3,786,000 | +119.9% |
| 60. | Slovenia | $3,690,000 | +8.8% |
| 61. | Zambia | $3,603,000 | -4.4% |
| 62. | Switzerland | $3,472,000 | -25% |
| 63. | Mozambique | $3,368,000 | +134.2% |
| 64. | Benin | $3,293,000 | +3642% |
| 65. | Sweden | $2,777,000 | +35.9% |
| 66. | Latvia | $2,582,000 | -3.3% |
| 67. | Egypt | $2,414,000 | -78.7% |
| 68. | Honduras | $2,095,000 | -14% |
| 69. | Uganda | $2,071,000 | -14.8% |
| 70. | Chile | $2,054,000 | +473.7% |
| 71. | Indonesia | $1,815,000 | -7.3% |
| 72. | Serbia | $1,177,000 | +63.9% |
| 73. | Burkina Faso | $1,039,000 | +1323% |
| 74. | Kenya | $1,013,000 | +475.6% |
| 75. | Malawi | $981,000 | +229.2% |
| 76. | Nicaragua | $894,000 | -54.1% |
| 77. | Jordan | $657,000 | -74.8% |
| 78. | Norway | $628,000 | +71.1% |
| 79. | Panama | $627,000 | +56% |
| 80. | Philippines | $610,000 | -44% |
| 81. | Guatemala | $533,000 | +4.7% |
| 82. | Estonia | $486,000 | -14.6% |
| 83. | Togo | $482,000 | +177% |
| 84. | Dominican Republic | $470,000 | -6% |
| 85. | Saudi Arabia | $458,000 | -93.2% |
| 86. | Finland | $456,000 | -38% |
| 87. | Trinidad/Tobago | $403,000 | -20.5% |
| 88. | Ghana | $377,000 | +59.7% |
| 89. | Luxembourg | $377,000 | +10.9% |
| 90. | Colombia | $369,000 | -80% |
| 91. | Namibia | $302,000 | +3675% |
| 92. | Senegal | $298,000 | -99.2% |
| 93. | New Zealand | $269,000 | +56.4% |
| 94. | Niger | $267,000 | 0% |
| 95. | Oman | $264,000 | -95% |
| 96. | Brunei Darussalam | $248,000 | 0% |
| 97. | Morocco | $240,000 | -35% |
| 98. | Croatia | $215,000 | +58.1% |
| 99. | Haiti | $209,000 | -14.3% |
| 100. | Iraq | $208,000 | -61% |
Expanding the scope to the 100 rice exporters, the fastest-growing rice suppliers were Namibia (up 3,675% from 2022), Benin (up 3,642%), Burkina Faso (up 1,323%), Lebanon (up 543.1%) and Kenya (up 475.6%).
Major Rice Exporting Companies
Below are bulk rice-supplying conglomerates that dominate the worldwide grain trade (73% of the global market in 2003, according to OXFAM researchers). Shown within parenthesis is the country where the company is headquartered.
- Cargill (United States)
- Archer Daniels Midland (United States)
- Bunge (United States)
- Louis Dreyfus (France)
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following companies are also examples of rice-trading companies located in the country shown within parentheses.
- AEDI’ S.R.L. (Italy)
- Nakornton Rice Co., Ltd. (Thailand)
- Navdurga Rice Mill (India)
- PAK Rice Village (Pakistan)
- Sichuan Deyi Green Foods Group Co., Ltd. (China)
- Sunrise Foodstuff Joint Stock Company (Vietnam)
- Trade BEVAR S.A. (Brazil)
Related Read: Average Rice Prices Compared for Major Rice Export Countries
See also Rice Imports by Country, Best Tofu Exports by Sales, Average Unit Prices & Weight, Corn Exports by Country, Onions Exports by Country and Barley Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba’s supplier information for rice. Accessed on July 1, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Agriculture – Products. Accessed on July 1, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 1, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 1, 2024
OXFAM Research Reports, Cereal Secrets, pp 9-10. Accessed on July 1, 2024