50,000 tons of relief rice set for Philippines

Japan will export 50,000 tons of rice to the Philippines as emergency relief because it is unable to secure enough supplies amid soaring international demand that has jacked up prices, government officials said Friday.

The government may tap a stockpile of rice it bought in 2005 to address a surplus, they said.

The price of rice bound for the Philippines is expected to be set at nearly ¥90,000 per ton to reflect international price trends.

The Uruguay Round trade agreement obligates Japan to import at least 770,000 tons of rice annually for domestic consumption.

Japan is considering using part of the surplus rice imported under the multilateral trade agreement to help developing countries cope with food shortages. It is planning talks with the United States — a major exporter of rice to Japan — next week to get approval for the plan, the officials said.

The U.S. is expected to approve the plan as an exception to the Uruguay Round accord, the officials said.

Japan will also explain that it is having difficulty fulfilling the the Uruguay Round's minimum import obligation as international rice prices continue to surge, the officials said.