PHL to Import 805,200 MT Rice Under MAV

The Philippine government has approved the additional importation 805,200 metric tons (MT) of rice under the minimum access volume (MAV).

This was aside from the 500,000 MT earlier awarded to Vietnam and Thailand by the National Food Authority (NFA) through government-to-government procurement scheme.

The NFA on Thursday issued the import guidelines under which traders are to bring in well-milled rice with a quality not lower than 25 percent brokens or any special variety.

Shipments, which should arrive not later than February 28, 2017, will be levied with a 35 percent tariff.

NFA said the importation was under a country-specific quota scheme covered by a 2014 agreement with the World Trade Organization (WTO), which allows the Philippines to provide minimum market access for rice imports.

It said the import volume of 805,200 MT would be of country specific quota and Omnibus origin as follows:

China – 50,000 MT, India – 50,000 MT, Pakistan – 50,000 MT, Australia – 15,000 MT, El Salvador – 4,000 MT, Thailand – 293,100 MT, Vietnam – 293,100 MT, and Any Country under the Omnibus origin – 50,000 MT.

Under the guidelines, corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, farmer cooperatives, farmer organizations, and joint ventures are allowed to participate in the program.

Applications shall be met in full when the aggregate import volume allocation under the program in excess of 20,000 MT for the crop year 2015-2016.

No applicant shall apply directly or indirectly for an import volume allocation under the program in excess of 20,000 MT for the crop year 2015-2016.

In no case shall joint ventures, partners, presidents, managers, directors or trustees of joint ventures, partnerships, corporations, associations or cooperatives be qualified to apply under the program simultaneously with a joint venture, partnership, corporation or cooperative of which they are associated with.

In case the aggregate import volume applications exceed the quota, the import allocation shall be distributed on a pro rata basis among the qualified applicants.

The Philippines has kept import restrictions for the grain in place since 1995, when it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), to protect the Filipino farmers.

Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on Wednesday said the country would open its doors to higher rice imports by next year, by not seeking a further extension of the import restrictions that would lapse in June 2017. (PNA) RMA/LGI