Taiwan's rice exports to Japan have surged amid a domestic rice shortage, drawing coverage from major Japanese media such as NHK and Kyodo News. From January to May 2025, Taiwan exported over 7,500 metric tons of rice to Japan—more than six times the volume during the same period in 2024 and already double last year’s total. The Agriculture Ministry expects the full-year exports to exceed 10,000 metric tons, marking a five-year high.
Speaking at the Legislature on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) confirmed that the ministry plans to enhance regional rice brands' visibility. He says that currently, exported rice is simply labeled “Produced in Taiwan,” but adds that in the future, regional characteristics of Taiwanese rice will be highlighted. This was in response to DPP legislator Chiu Yi-ying’s (邱議瑩) concern that current packaging labels make it difficult to identify the variety or the region in Taiwan where the rice originated, urging the ministry
to support branding initiatives so that high-quality rice from local regions can gain international recognition.
KMT legislator Lin Te-fu (林德福) points out that Japanese consumers might revert to local rice once prices stabilize and Taiwan’s rice export boom could be temporary. Minister Chen responded that the ministry aims to make Taiwanese rice exports to Japan a long-term strategy and will endeavor to build a sustainable supply chain and target Japan’s premium rice market.