EU plans to restrict rice imports from India, Pakistan, and Asian countries

Source: businessline.com This move comes even as India and the EU are moving towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with 11 out of 23 chapters completed. Industry observers describe this step as "one door closing while another opens". New import framework The EU Council and Parliament have agreed on a tariff-rate quota system for both basmati and non-basmati rice. If the volume of imports surges, the safeguard mechanism will trigger the Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff rate for a specified period to protect the EU market. This regulation, after being officially approved and passed, is expected to take effect from January 1, 2027. Impact & Industry Concerns EU rice imports from non-EU countries are expected to reach 1.5 million tons, mainly from India, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Analysts are concerned about a shift from an open market to a monopolistic structure dominated by a few European companies. India, which exports around 142,000 tons of packaged rice, including 48,000 ...