Vietnam and Singapore Sign MoU to Boost Rice Trade

The governments of Vietnam and Singapore have approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on rice trade cooperation, with Vietnam’s Prime Minister authorising the deal on October 25, 2025. This MoU will entrust Vietnam’s industry and trade ministry to formalise trade conditions on rice with Singapore’s government. Special emphasis is placed on maintaining stable shipments, aligning quality standards, and ensuring logistics coordination.

Vietnam currently ranks as Singapore’s third-largest rice supplier, behind two other major exporters, and brief-ly held the top spot in early 2024. The MoU aims to build on this position by helping Vietnam compete amid strong competition from India, Thailand, and Japan, and to reinforce stability in the bilateral rice supply.

The agreement also speaks to broader food-security and supply-chain resilience goals. For Singapore, which imports over 90 % of its food, the MoU provides an anchor partner for rice imports. For Vietnam, it offers a platform to enhance rice export quality, product design, and access via Singapore’s role as a regional hub.

For Singapore, importing over 90 percent of its food, supply-chain diversification is a first-order strategic priority. Anchoring rice supply through a formal bilateral framework with Vietnam - currently its third-largest rice supplier - reduces exposure to periodic export restrictions and price spikes that have affected the rice market in recent years, particularly during monsoon disruptions or geopolitical events.

For Vietnam, the arrangement provides a predictable premium market and a platform to elevate export quality standards, product design and logistics coordination. Singapore's role as a regional distribution hub also amplifies the reach - rice moving through Singapore often onward-serves other Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets under quality standards that support price premiums.

For food producers, traders, retailers and financial institutions active in Asian food supply chains, Cognitud's supply chain and operations, sustainability due diligence and impact assessment teams help clients evaluate supply-chain resilience, structure supplier engagement on sustainable rice production (including water use, methane emissions and smallholder livelihoods), and disclose supply-chain sustainability performance aligned with SBTN, TNFD and jurisdictional food-security frameworks.