According to the Vietnam Food Association, Bangladesh will import 100,000 tons of white rice from Vietnam under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement, to be supplied by the Vietnam Southern Food Corporation at a price of USD 474.25 per ton. The purchase proposal from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Food was approved by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Procurement in Dhaka on January 28, 2025.

This large-scale import of rice from Vietnam is part of Bangladesh’s food price stabilization strategy, especially as the country rolls out its Open Market Sales (OMS) Programme starting in February 2025. 

According to the plan, the Government will distribute approximately 907 tons of rice per day through 906 centers nationwide, including the capital Dhaka, major urban areas, and areas with high concentrations of workers.

Each center is expected to sell around 1 ton per day, while the Secretariat center will sell double that amount to meet demand in the central administrative area. The rice will be sold at 30 Tk/kg (equivalent to about USD 243 per ton), helping low-income people access this essential food staple at an affordable price. 

Bangladesh is one of the major rice-producing countries in South Asia; however, the country still needs to import rice at certain times to balance supply and demand. In 2023, Bangladesh imported nearly 2 million tons of rice from countries such as India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

This 100,000-ton rice export deal to Bangladesh once again affirms the position of Vietnamese rice in the international market. Besides Bangladesh, Vietnam is also a key rice supplier to many other markets, such as China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and countries in Africa. 

In 2024 alone, Vietnam’s rice exports reached over 8 million tons, generating revenue of nearly USD 5 billion, the highest level in more than a decade.