Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, concurrently in charge of Trade Relations, Grace Fu, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on rice trade cooperation.
Vietnam maintains its position as the third-largest rice supplier to Singapore.
The signing of this MoU is expected to further boost Vietnam’s rice exports to Singapore, a nation that imports over 90% of its food annually.
According to statistics from Singapore’s Enterprise Management Authority, cited by the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, Vietnam remains the third-largest rice supplier to Singapore, following India and Thailand. In the first nine months of 2025, Singapore’s imports of rice products (HS code 1006) from Vietnam reached SGD 87.8 million, a 11.5% decrease compared to the same period in 2024, accounting for 25.3% of the total rice import market share.
While Singapore’s market size remains stable, the total import value of Vietnamese rice has decreased year-on-year, attributed to a general decline in Vietnam’s rice export prices compared to 2024.
White rice (HS code 10063099) is the highest-value imported rice category from Vietnam to Singapore, reaching SGD 53.2 million in the first nine months of 2025, a 10.1% increase from the same period in 2024, capturing 31% of the market share. Singapore sources white rice from over 20 countries, with Vietnam ranking second after India (SGD 75.2 million, 43.8% market share).
In addition to white rice, Vietnam’s fragrant milled rice (HS code 10063070) and glutinous rice (HS code 10063030) are also significant imports, with values of USD 24.6 million and USD 6.7 million respectively in the first nine months of 2025, holding 59.7% and 63.2% of Singapore’s import market share.
Overall, Singapore’s domestic rice market is saturated, and Vietnamese rice faces stiff competition from India, Thailand, and Japan. Cao Xuan Thang, Trade Counselor and Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, noted that promotional activities for Vietnamese rice in Singapore remain limited, with no large-scale campaigns by Vietnamese rice enterprises or associations.
Vietnamese businesses have not invested significantly in broad promotional activities. Singaporean importers and distributors primarily repackage Vietnamese rice with local branding for easier market penetration. Vietnamese-branded rice is mostly sold in small convenience stores or online shops catering to the Vietnamese community.
The Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore advises businesses to view Singapore not only as a market of nearly 6 million people but also as a strategic transshipment hub for global exports. Enterprises should focus on leveraging Singapore’s role as a regional trade gateway.
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