The Republic of Korea has started to import rice from Vietnam again, while Japan and China are considering the possibility, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).

This was announced at a meeting to examine how rice exports have progressed in the first 6 months of this year held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 5.

Vietnam used to export rice to both China and Japan , but shipments were delayed because both countries demanded high quality products, said the VFA’s Chairman Truong Thanh Phong.

At present, Japan is about to resume importing rice from Vietnam because of its competitive price, as the grain from Thailand is more expensive.

Japan plans to import 600,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam in 2012 and every shipment will be checked very carefully for quality, hygiene and food safety.

Vietnam ’s rice exports by the end of June reached 3.414 million tonnes, down by 12.76 percent. The earnings recorded totalled 1.567 billion USD, down 15.17 percent compared to the same period of 2011./.