Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer in 2026, while Vietnam rice exports continue to play an important role.

Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer in 2026

According to forecasts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Vietnam is expected to import around 3.9 million tons of rice in 2026, continuing to be the world's second-largest rice importer, after the Philippines. This is noteworthy in the context that Vietnam remains one of the leading rice-exporting countries in the world.

The fact that Vietnam both exports and imports rice shows that the rice market is operating more flexibly according to processing demand, domestic consumption, border trade and price fluctuations in the international market.

Vietnam continues large-volume rice imports

The information that Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer shows that Vietnam’s demand for rice imports remains high in 2026. According to the USDA, in the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s rice imports were estimated at around USD 613 million, equivalent to 1.5 million tons.

Although Vietnam has strong advantages in rice production, rice imports still play a certain role in regulating supply, serving processing needs and meeting trade demand at different periods.

The fact that Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer does not mean a decline in domestic production, but reflects the flexibility of the rice market in response to supply, demand and price factors.

Vietnam rice exports continue to play an important role

On the other hand, Vietnam rice exports still recorded positive results. In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam exported around 3.3 million tons of rice, with export value reaching about USD 1.57 billion.

Notably, the rice trade surplus reached around USD 957 million, up 5.6% compared with the same period last year. This shows that Vietnam rice exports continue to play an important role in agricultural trade, even as Vietnam maintains a large volume of rice imports.

This context reflects that Vietnam’s rice market is operating flexibly, meeting domestic demand while maintaining its role on the global rice export map.

Supply and demand fluctuations affect the rice market

The fact that Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer shows that the rice market does not depend only on domestic output, but is also affected by processing demand, consumption, border trade and global supply-demand fluctuations.

In the context of increasingly unpredictable weather, changing production costs and shifting demand from major markets, the rice market needs to continue improving stability from production to consumption.

In particular, as Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer while still being an important rice-exporting country, maintaining production quality right from the field has become increasingly necessary.

Rice grain quality should be prioritized from the production stage

A productive rice crop depends not only on varieties and weather conditions, but also directly on soil quality, root development and the nutrition regime at each growth stage.

When rice plants are cared for properly, their roots develop strongly, nutrient absorption improves, leaves stay green longer and the grain-filling process becomes more stable. This is an important foundation for improving rice grain quality at harvest.

In the context that Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer and Vietnam rice exports continue to play an important role, rice grain quality is an increasingly important factor in enhancing the value of agricultural products.

Conclusion

Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice importer in 2026, while still maintaining an important position in rice exports. This context shows that Vietnam’s rice industry is operating more flexibly, but also places higher requirements on production quality right from the field.

Source: https://www.tintucnongnghiep.com/2026/05/viet-nam-tiep-tuc-la-nha-nhap-khau-gao.html