EU Likely to Regulate Indian Rice Imports

05-Dec-2025 12:02 PM

Brussels. The European Union is likely to soon regulate rice imports from India and other Asian countries, a move to protect the interests of local farmers and millers. While rice imports will not be directly banned, various measures will be taken to limit their quantity.

This development is somewhat surprising. India and the European Union are committed to the trade treaty and have already agreed on 11 of the agreement's 23 chapters. According to industry analysts, this move by the EU is like closing one door and opening another.

In the latest development, the European Council and Parliament have decided to establish a specific "automatic safeguard mechanism" for imports of basmati and non-basmati rice, targeting countries such as India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

On 1 December 2025, the European Council and Parliament agreed to use this specific automatic safeguard mechanism through a tariff rate quota system.

The rule states that this safeguard system will automatically be activated if rice imports into the EU reach significantly above historical average levels.

This system will ensure that Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status will be in effect for a certain period of time to protect the EU rice market.

This new rule is expected to come into effect from 1 January 2027. This will help Asian rice exporting countries to plan their strategies. The EU imports a significant amount of Basmati rice from India and Pakistan.