Vietnam prices on the rise

Rice prices in Vietnam moved higher again over the weekend, with domestic paddy and export offers rising at the same time after a firmer week of buying. (vietnam.vn) Vietnamese market updates published April 12 said traders were buying more actively in the Mekong Delta, while exporters reported stronger demand from importers building stocks. One widely cited update said the domestic market “maintained its upward momentum” as export trade turned lively again. (baohaiphong.vn) On export markets, Vietnam’s 5 percent broken rice was offered at $375 to $380 a metric ton on April 10, up from about $375 a week earlier, according to traders cited by Reuters. The same report said March rice exports jumped 62.3 percent from February to about 1 million tons. (infoarroz.org) Domestic prices were also edging up before the weekend. In one April 10 market update, finished 5 percent broken rice was listed at 14,200 dong a kilogram and 25 percent broken rice at 13,200 dong, both up 100 dong. (baodanang.vn) That rebound follows a softer first quarter for exporters. Vietnam shipped about 2.2 million tons of rice worth $1.1 billion in the first three months of 2026, down 4.4 percent in volume and 12.2 percent in value from a year earlier, according to Vietnamese government-linked reports citing the agriculture ministry. (baonghean.vn) The recent rise is being tied less to a supply shock inside Vietnam than to cost pressure around the trade. Traders told Reuters that buyers were stockpiling because they expected higher shipping and fertilizer costs linked to the war in the Middle East. (infoarroz.org) Vietnamese exporters are also dealing with pricier freight and slower delivery schedules. One late-March report said shipping insurance costs had risen, voyages were taking 10 to 15 days longer, and domestic transport costs for rice had increased by about 20,000 to 30,000 dong a ton. (baolangson.vn) The move in Vietnam fits a broader regional pattern. Reuters reported that Thai and Indian export prices also firmed last week, while the Food and Agriculture Organization said its all-rice price index rose 3.0 percent in March 2026. (infoarroz.org) (fao.org) Vietnam’s own exporters are still not back to last year’s pace, but the direction changed over the past two weeks. If buying stays active and freight costs keep climbing, the country’s domestic and export rice markets are likely to keep moving in tandem rather than pulling apart. (vietnam.vn)