DA recommends tariff increase on imported rice, halt to importation —PCO

An increase in tariffs of imported rice will be among the matters which will be tackled on the sidelines of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s state visit to India. 

This was according to Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Dave Gomez on Monday. 

The Department of Agriculture is recommending an increase in tariff on imported rice, Gomez said. 

The agency is also suggesting a temporarily halt on all importation to protect local farmers.

Gomez said all details would still be discussed and agreed upon.

On June 12, the DA recommended to the Tariff Commission that any future increase in the rice import duty— from the current 15 percent back to the previous 35 percent — be implemented gradually to minimize its effect on both local and global markets.

Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had warned that an abrupt 20-percentage-point hike could disrupt the rice market.

This will also undermine government efforts to stabilize prices since last year, Tiu Laurel earlier said. — AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News