President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered all rice importation suspended for 60 days starting September 1, 2025 in what the Palace said is a move to protect local farmers during the peak of the harvest season.
Acting Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said on Wednesday the president held consultations earlier with Cabinet members during his five-day state visit to India.
The decision was based on the recommendation of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
“To protect local farmers reeling from low palay prices during this current harvest season, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. today announced the suspension of all rice importation for 60 days beginning Sept. 1, 2025,” Gomez said.
At this point, the president is not inclined to discuss higher tariffs on imported rice, he said.
“We will still see if we need to resort to that. Right now the decision is to suspend all rice importation for 60 days beginning September 1,” Gomez said, quoting the president.
Before Marcos embarked on a five-day state visit to India on Monday, August 4, he received word that the Department of Agriculture (DA) would recommend higher tariffs on imported rice while halting rice importation to protect the farmers.
A DA official said it may recommend a gradual hike, starting with 25 percent, to prevent shock in the market.
The president in 2024 lowered tariff on rice importation to 15 percent from 35 percent following the high prices of rice in the market.
There had been calls to raise the tariff due to the decline in farmgate prices of palay.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that farmgate prices of paddy rice fell by about 31 percent to P16.99 per kilo in June from P24.93 per kilo a year earlier.
