The European Commission opened a safeguard investigation on 16 March into imports of semi-milled and milled Indica rice originating in Cambodia and Burma/Myanmar.
The investigation, which will be concluded within 12 months, was launched at the request of Italy which is calling for safeguard measures against imports of Cambodian and Burmese Indica rice, the quantities and prices of which have caused serious difficulties for EU producers.
Italy has provided the Commission with evidence that these imports – duty free under the special trade preferences regime “Everything but Arms” – have increased to the extent that the market share of Cambodian rice has grown from 13% to 21% and that of Burmese rice has grown from 0% to 5% in the last five marketing years.
Italy argues that the prices of this rice were significantly lower than those of EU producers and even lower than the average price for raw rice (paddy rice) produced by EU growers, resulting in a fall in their EU market share from 52% to 30% over the same period. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)