SINAG petitions Tariff Commission to raise rice import taxes

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) has petitioned the Tariff Commission to restore rice import tariffs to 35% for Southeast Asian grain and impose a 50% rate for other countries.

Executive Order No. 62, which reduced tariffs to 15%, failed to lower rice prices as intended, according to SINAG Chairman Rosendo O. So, who pointed out that the order led to a P15 billion loss in government revenue between July and December 2024.

SINAG claims this amount could have been used to reduce production costs by P2.9 per kilo for domestically grown rice, translating to a P5 per kilo price reduction.

Despite global rice prices falling to $422 per metric ton, exceeding the target reduction through EO 62, local palay prices remain low at P15-16 per kilo with traders only willing to pay between P16 to P18 per kilo due to competition from imported rice.

The group also noted that after reducing tariffs, the Department of Agriculture (DA) declared a food security emergency and imposed an MSRP on imported rice in attempts to make it more affordable for Filipinos.