The number of rice imported from Viet Nam increased four times from 2008 to 2013 and now accounts for 28 percent of the rice market in Singapore. — Photo 24h.com.vn

SINGAPORE (Biz Hub) — Some Singaporean firms have expressed their interest in Vietnamese rice, especially jasmine rice, and affirmed to continue importing the rice, reported Nguyen Hung Linh, chairman of Vietnam Food Association.

The statement was made during a trip led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh on June 9–10 to promote Vietnamese rice at the Singaporean market.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese delegation organised trade programmes with Singapore Rice General Importers Association and nearly 20 leading enterprises in Singapore such as NTUC Fairprice, Super Q International Pte. Ltd. and Tong Seng Produce Pte. Ltd.

Anh stated that still various potentials existed for exporting rice to the Singaporean market as all the varieties of Vietnamese rice met the market demand.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh meets Tan Soon Kim, deputy director of the International Enterprises Singapore during his two-day trip. — VNA/VNS Photo Kim Yen

According to the deputy minister, apart from importing rice for consumption, Singapore was also known as a transshipment terminal, transporting rice to Indonesia, the Philippines and some African countries.

"In the coming time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to support Vietnamese exports in taking part in supply chain and goods delivery to Singapore as well as helping them participate in exhibitions and trade promotions in the country," he noted.

In the last few years, Singapore has always been an important commercial partner of Viet Nam in ASEAN. It is the sixth largest trading partner of Viet Nam, after China, Japan, the United States, South Korea and China's Taiwan.

In 2013, Singapore became the third largest trade partner in ASEAN, after Thailand and Malaysia. Bilateral trade turnover last year reached US$8.4 billion, with $2.7 billion export to Singapore from Viet Nam.

In the first four months of this year, Viet Nam–Singapore trade turnover reached approximately $3.3 billion, which was 21.2 per cent higher in comparison with the same period of 2013. Farming and seafood products accounted for most of the exports to Singapore.

Andrew Tan, chairman of the Singapore General Rice Importers Association, stated that the number of rice imported from Viet Nam had increased four times from 2008 to 2013 and Vietnamese rice now accounted for 28 per cent of the rice market in Singapore.

Tan pointed out that the prices of Vietnamese rice were very competitive and the quality had been improved owing to better technology. He expected that Vietnamese rice will continue to improve its quality in order to have a better position in the international market and to have a greater share in Singapore. — VNS