Rice imports into the United States have increased by about $10 billion over the past two decades. As a share of the domestic economy, it has increased from 10 percent at the turn of the last century to nearly 25 percent by 2019-20. Most rice importers in the U.S. import exotic Asian rice, including certain jasmine from Southeast Asia and Indian aromatic rice from Pakistan and India. Rice variety imports are expected to increase further until U.S. researchers breed varieties to satisfy this segment of household consumption.

U.S. rice imports in 2023 are projected to increase 16 percent year-over-year and reach the highest import volume on record at 44 million quintals. Imported rice is projected to account for nearly 32 percent of domestic rice use in 2023, the highest percentage ever recorded.

Imports of long-grain rice, as well as short- and medium-grain rice, are projected to reach their highest levels on record. For long-grain rice (the primary rice category grown and consumed in the United States), growing consumer preference for Asian aromatic rice (e.g., jasmine rice from Thailand and Indian aromatic rice from India and Pakistan) is driving increased import purchases.

In addition to Asian aromatic varieties of long-grain rice, the United States also imports much smaller quantities of conventionally milled long-grain rice from South American suppliers. For the medium- and short-grain rice category, imports are projected to increase 41 percent in 2023.

Increased imports were spurred by lower production in California, where a second consecutive year of drought has reduced the rice harvest and domestic supply. California's rice production is projected to be 38 percent lower than the previous year and is expected to be the lowest since 1977/78. California grows almost exclusively medium- and short-grain rice, which typically accounts for about 70 per cent of United States medium- and short-grain rice production.

The United States regularly imports medium- and short-grain rice from Thailand, India, China and Italy, with almost all of the rice from China destined for the United States territory of Puerto Rico.

The continued increase in imports of U.S. rice means that the market for your U.S. rice exports is promising. When you want to export rice to the United States, you may be wondering how to connect with rice importers in the United States. Who are the in-demand U.S. importers? Who buys small quantities of rice instead of importing it into the country? Who will accept the price you offer for rice? By logging into the Tendata system and searching by "Rice" in the Importer Report, you can see that there are a total of 11,483 U.S. rice importers for the year 2023 (January-November). You can further search by import value, import volume, and import trends to find out which company is the best trade match for your needs.

Below are the top 10 rice importers in usa for 2023 searched for you: