ANN/VIETNAM NEWS – The Philippines is considering adopting the price of Vietnam’s fragrant rice variety Dai Thom 8 (DT8) as the new reference point for its rice import tariff system, replacing the current benchmark tied to the free-on-board (FOB) price of five-per-cent broken rice set by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco P Tiu Laurel Jr told BusinessWorld Online that the Department of Agriculture (DA) is reviewing the reference for its flexible rice tariff scheme to more accurately reflect market realities.

He noted that most rice imported from Vietnam is not the standard five-per-cent broken variety, but DT8, which he suggested should be the variety monitored and used as the reference for tariffs.

The price of the DT8 rice variety is around USD430 to USD450 per tonne, significantly higher than the FAO’s USD361 per-tonne quotation for Vietnam’s five per cent broken rice in December.

The Philippines’ flexible rice tariff scheme, started this year, allows import duties to rise or fall in response to global prices.

Using DT8 as the reference price is seen as a more appropriate adjustment that better reflects the value of Vietnam’s fragrant rice in the international market.

DT8 is a copyrighted variety developed, produced and marketed by Vietnam Rice Company Limited (Vinarice).

The variety is widely cultivated in the Mekong Delta and popular for its long grains, soft texture, aroma and good taste, meeting export quality standards.

The Philippines is the world’s largest rice importer with an estimated volume of 5.5 million tonnes in 2026.

The Philippines was also the largest rice market of Vietnam with a share of 38.3 per cent of Vietnam’s rice export last year.

Published Date: February 9, 2026