Japan's May rice imports surge as companies shrug off heavy tariff
Japanese retailer Aeon is offering California-grown Calrose rice in its stores. (Photo by Marina Inoue)
KOSUKE TAKEUCHI
TOKYO -- Rice imports by Japanese companies shot up in May, government trade data shows, as retailers and restaurants try to cope with elevated domestic prices.
Imports of rice for consumption, which are subject to a high tariff, exceeded 10,000 metric tons for the first time. The May figure was 126 times greater than the monthly average in 2024.
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