California firm completes first U.S. rice sale to China

After decades of U.S. rice producers chasing the enormous China market, a California rice company confirmed it has made the first sale of U.S. rice to the Asian nation, according to the USA Rice Federation.

Sun Valley Rice, based in Dunnigan, made the sale, agreeing to deliver 40 metric tons of medium-grain Calrose rice.

"This sale marks a turning point for the U.S. rice industry and its relationship with China, as it is the first ever of U.S. rice to a private importer, and is truly historic as it sets the stage for continued regular trade with China for U.S.-grown rice," USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward said.

Sun Valley reportedly struck the deal during the first U.S. rice trade seminar in China. Funding for the seminar came from the new U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Trade Promotion program, part of President Trump's trade assistance package to help U.S. farmers harmed by ongoing trade disputes and retaliatory tariffs.

"Fifteen years of patience and hard work have paid off," said Ken LaGrande, founder of LaGrande Family Foods Group and CEO of Sun Valley Rice. "It is truly an honor and a privilege to blaze this trail of trading history—American rice in China."

Steve Vargas, senior vice president of global rice trading for Sun Valley Rice and vice chairman of the USA Rice International Promotion Committee, said the agreement represented "a long journey."

"It has taken a great deal of effort on the part of Sun Valley Rice, as well as the USA Rice Federation, to gain access to the Chinese market," he said.

China first opened its market for U.S. milled rice in late December, in accordance with the sanitary and phytosanitary protocol signed between the U.S. and China in 2017. After signing the protocol, the two countries worked to facilitate Chinese inspections of 10 U.S. mills and facilities interested in exporting rice to China, to demonstrate their compliance with the complex U.S.-China phytosanitary protocol, the federation said.

During the rice seminar, U.S. rice companies discussed their capabilities to serve the Chinese market, the federation said, followed by a "speed dating" event, where importers met one on one for 15 minutes with each of the represented exporters.

USA Rice conducted the seminar during the World Rice Summit trade show in Guangzhou, China, where a booth showcased cooked samples of five different types of U.S. rice: Calrose, sweet rice, long grain, Koshihikari and Calhikari. Each U.S. exporter had its own station to meet with interested importer, according to the federation.

USA Rice said it will hold two more trade seminars this year, on Aug. 2 and Aug. 5, in Shanghai and Shenzhen, respectively.