The Philippines returns to importing rice starting from January 1, 2026.

Source: thesaigontimes.vn The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under the Philippines Department of Agriculture on December 15, 2025 issued a directive regarding the continuation of rice imports. It stipulates that the importation will resume starting January 1, 2026. The Philippines regulates that rice imports are only allowed through 17 designated ports, including Subic, Batangas, Manila International Container Port, Manila Port, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Davao, General Santos, Tacloban, and several other ports... The BPI directive mandates that rice imported through the ports of Zamboanga and Tacloban be inspected 100% of the time, while the remaining ports will be randomly inspected by plant quarantine inspectors at the port of entry before clearance. BPI regulations state that SPSIS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Permit) registration is allowed before January 1, 2026. However, rice imports at the designated ports will only commence from January 1, 2026. Imported ...