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Sri Lanka’s economic situation is improving and key agricultural inputs like fertilizers and agrochemicals are available in the market although they remain expensive. Rice production is expected to continue on a recovery path. Rice imports are...

On June 4, a Costa Rican court restored the Chaves administration's policy of dramatically lower tariffs on imported milled and rough rice, overturning an earlier court ruling that reversed the lower tariffs in April 2024.

FAS/San José anticipates Costa Rica's Ministry of Foreign Trade to allocate 2024 Dominican Republic - Central America Free Trade Agreement rice quota allocations by the end of April, effectively constraining the availability of U.S. duty-free rice to the final eight months of 2024. Though Costa Rica typically allocates quota volumes in December of the preceding year, calculations of 2024 volumes have been contested by importers following an extraordinary process resulting from a 2022 cyber attack.

Costa Rica reinstated 35 percent tariffs on non-U.S.-origin rice after an administrative court overturned an August 2022 tariff reduction and the Government’s appeal was rejected. Demand for U.S. rice has surged following the tariff restoration on reduced South American-origin rice competitiveness.

Rice is Sri Lanka's national staple, its productive cultivation is of national security concern. FAS Colombo (Post) forecast’s Sri Lanka’s market year (MY) 2024/2025 (October-September) rice production (milled) at 3.42 million metric tons (MMT), coming from a planted area of 1.1 million hectares, with yields of 4.57 metric tons (MT)/hectare (rough rice).

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies recently introduced a Special Commodity Levy for three agricultural commodities: maize (corn), black gram, and green gram, effective August 18, 2023, for a period of six-months.

U.S. rough rice exports have plummeted and the decline of Costa Rican rice production has accelerated sharply following the Government of Costa Rica’s August 2022 tariff rate reduction on imported rice from all origins.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health recently introduced the Food (Refined Wheat Flour Fortification) Regulations (2022).

FAS Colombo (Post) forecast’s Sri Lanka’s market year (MY) 2023/2024 (October-September) rice production (milled) at 3.16 million metric tons (MMT), with a planted area of 1 million hectares.

On October 20, 2022, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) notified draft amendment standards (number 1) to SLS 1725-1:2021 for Processed Grain-based Food Products, Part 1: Multi/Mixed Grain to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Sri Lanka’s market year (MY) 2021/2022 (October-September) rough rice production of 2.57 million metric tons (MMT) was sharply lower, severely disrupted by the Sri Lankan government’s banning of chemical fertilizer imports.

On July 6, the Government of Costa Rica published a draft executive decree that would dramatically reduce tariffs on imported milled and rough rice. The vast majority of U.S. rice exported to Costa Rica in 2021 (valued at $25 million) entered under a duty free quota for rough rice established by the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.