Senegal Temporarily Suspends Rice Imports for One Month to Support Domestic Consumption
On 12 November 2025, the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Senegal decided to suspend rice imports for one month in order to facilitate the consumption of locally produced rice, as imported rice is more price-competitive.
This measure was adopted following consensus among producers, traders, processors, state agencies, and technical–financial partners at a meeting organized by Senegal’s Market Regulation Authority. Rice producers in Dagana Province, located in the Senegal River Valley region, reported that nearly 195,000 tons of paddy rice from the 2025 crop season remained unsold. Normally, Senegal imports rice to maintain reserves for about three months; however, current stockpiles are sufficient for six months.
With the aim of stabilizing the market and protecting local rice producers from imported rice, in addition to the above measure, the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Senegal has also set a single retail price of 350 CFA francs/kg (approximately USD 0.62) for domestically produced broken rice and whole-grain rice.
Senegal is the third-largest rice importer in Africa (at over 1 million tons per year), after Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. Domestic rice production meets only about 30% of national demand, which stands at approximately 2.2 million tons of rice. One notable feature of the Senegalese rice market is that more than 98% of rice imports consist of 100% broken rice, due to local consumption habits and lower prices. The main supplying countries include India, Thailand, Pakistan, Brazil, and Vietnam. Import duties on rice entering Senegal consist of a 10% import tariff, 18% VAT, a 1% statistical fee, and a 1% community solidarity levy, bringing the total to 30%.
According to the latest global grain market report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Senegal will need to import 1.65 million tons of rice in the 2025/2026 marketing year, accounting for about 70% of market demand (nearly 2.2 million tons per year).
Data from Vietnam Customs show that in the first ten months of 2025, Vietnam’s rice exports to Senegal surged by 7,258% in volume and 3,145% in value, reaching 165,624 tons, equivalent to USD 51.57 million.
Source: Vietnam Trade Office in Algeria (also accredited to Senegal).
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