BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — The European Commission increased the import duty on “husked” or brown rice (non-basmati) to €65 per tonne. As of March 8, the new duty stands for the European Union (E.U.).

In accordance with international agreements, rice import duties in the E.U. are reviewed twice a year, on March 1 and Sept. 1.

The European Commission noted the increase in demand of husked rice had reached more than 264,000 tonnes since September 2018, leading to an increase in import duties. This import duty had not changed since the March 2012 review.

“The legislation in place highlights that if the level of imports for husked rice in the first six months of the marketing year is below 191,113 tonnes, the duty should be fixed at €30 per tonne which was the case until today’s decision,” the European Commission said. “When it exceeds 191,113 tonnes, but is not higher than 224,839 tonnes, the duty should be fixed at €42.5 per tonne. Finally, which applies in this case, if it exceeds 258,565 tonnes, the duty needs to be set at €65 per tonne.”

Import duties of €65 per tonne are now fixed until the next review, which will be on Sept. 1, 2019. The European Commission will continue to monitor the market closely.