Vietnam surpassed Thailand to become the world’s second-largest rice exporter in the first half of 2025. India remained the leading exporter, with 11.68 million metric tonnes, up 36.5% year on year. Vietnam delivered 4.72 million metric tonnes, up 3.5%, while Thailand dropped to third with 3.73 million metric tonnes, a 27.3% decrease.

Pakistan exported 2.76 million metric tonnes, while the United States exported 1.4 million, both of which represented significant reductions. Iraq and the United States were the top buyers of Thai rice, with Africa and China both remaining important markets.

According to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, Thailand’s rice export value from January to June was 75.57 billion baht ($2.3 billion), a 36.4% decrease. The association anticipates over 600,000 metric tonnes of exports in July, owing to increased orders from Iraq, China, Japan, and African countries, but warns that dropping prices may drive the growth.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture announced July exports of 750,000 metric tonnes totalling $366.1 million. From January to July, Vietnam exported 5.5 million metric tonnes for $2.81 billion, up 3.1% in volume but down 15.9% in value due to price declines.