MENA Region Rice Commodity Market

Major rice producers in the MENA region include Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, but as with other
crops, production lags far behind consumption and is not expected to rise appreciably because of climate and land constraints. The region’s population consumed an average of 13 million tons of rice per year over the period 2011-13, of which around 7 million tons were imported. The U.S. share of rice imports to the region has fallen, dipping below 15 percent in recent years, as emerging competitors in South Asia and Thailand have gained market share due to lower prices and geographic proximity.

Major MENA region destinations for U.S. rice include Turkey, Libya, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Some of these markets emerged in the wake of the 2008 food price crisis when regular suppliers, namely, Egypt and India, imposed export restrictions. Notwithstanding the unpredictable occurrence and effects of such trade policies, rising incomes and populations in the region are expected to sustain rice demand, leaving the door open for a growing role of rice suppliers in this market.