Government Freezes Rice Importation

The Philippines temporarily shut its doors to regular and well-milled rice sourced abroad beginning on 01 September 2025.

Through Executive Order No. 93, signed by the Office of the President (OP) on 29 August 2025, the national government adopted a 60-day suspension of importation of said rice varieties “to enable the domestic market to absorb the local supply, stabilize prices, and help Filipino farmers sell their ‘palay’ at a fair and reasonable price.”

The halt on importation, which ends on 30 October 2025, came as the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported the remarkable drop in the price of rice following the strong local production in the country in early 2025 and the influx of foreign supply induced by mitigated tariff.

The suspension, however, does not extend to rice varieties not commonly produced by Filipino farmers.

The OP directed the DA, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, and the Department of Trade and Industry to evaluate the effects of the suspension in the country within 30 days upon the effectivity of the executive order. Within 15 days after convening, the three agencies must submit a joint recommendation to the president relative to their findings.