The Department of Agriculture (DA) has ruled out the imposition of the minimum 15-percent tariff rate on rice when importation of the household staple resumes in January.
But neither is the agency keen on immediately reverting to 35 percent, the high end of the rice tariff range recently approved by Malacanang.
Its technical working group has until Dec. 15 to determine ‘the right tariff’ to be implemented by Jan. 1, 2026, when rice imports resume.
‘One thing is for sure, it will not be 15 percent,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a press briefing on Thursday.
Tiu Laurel said the agency would neither recommend immediately reverting the rice tariff to 35 percent – as some agricultural groups call for – to prevent price pressures on retail prices.
‘Once we start buying, the international price will definitely go up. If we immediately raise to 35 percent and we start buying. consumers will be affected,’ he told reporters.
The Philippines remains the world’s largest importer of rice. ‘Flexible’ policy framework
The Economic and Development Council chaired by President Marcos recently approved the framework on rice tariffs.
‘Starting January 1, 2026, a more gradual and flexible tariff adjustment shall be adopted, with adjustments by 5 percentage points per 5-percent change in international prices, subject to a minimum rate of 15 percent and a maximum rate of 35 percent,’ the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) said. According to DepDev, the measure complements the government’s decision to retain the 15 percent rice tariff until the end of this year following the Tariff and Related Matters Committee’s recommendation.
‘The TRMC’s recommendation is part of a broader government strategy to ensure stable rice prices and protect both farmers and consumers, while safeguarding macroeconomic stability,’ it added.
Stockpiling
‘Definitely we have to start importing by January because. we have to ensure enough buffer stock for the next harvest season,’ the agriculture chief said.
Based on Executive Order No. 62 signed by President Marcos in June last year, the import duty on rice is set at 15 percent until 2028.
In a separate issuance, the President signed Executive Order No. 102 extending the import ban on regular and well-milled rice until Dec. 31. The moratorium was initially scheduled to end in October. The import restriction, which had taken effect on Sept. 1, was extended to continuously protect local farmers against downward rice pressures from imported rice, sustain market stability and safeguard consumer welfare. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the farm-gate price of palay or unmilled rice reached P15.60 per kilogram as of September, down 30.5 percent from P22.43 per kg in the same month last year.