By Zafar Hussain

BEIJING, Apr 21 (China Economic Net) - Pakistan's rice exports to China recorded a remarkable surge of 511 percent in the first quarter of 2026, highlighting deepening agricultural trade ties between the two countries, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC).

In the first three months of 2026, Pakistan's rice exports to China exceeded $45.19 million, a sharp rise from $7.39 million recorded in the same period of 2025. The growth reflects both increased demand in the Chinese market and improved market access for Pakistani exporters.

Among key categories, exports of semi or wholly milled rice (commodity code 10063020) crossed $33.60 million during Q1 2026, compared to around $6 million last year. Export volume reached 92 million kilograms, with an average price of approximately $0.36 per kilogram.

As per data of GACC, Beijing emerged as the largest importer of the above rice variety, accounting for 79.56 million kilograms valued at $28.7 million. Guangdong Province followed with imports of 7.57 million kilograms worth $2.93 million. Other notable destinations included Jiangxi Province (2.08 million kilograms, $788,091), Hunan Province (1.82 million kilograms, $690,139), Anhui Province (520,000 kilograms, $200,474), Zhejiang Province (364,000 kilograms, $200,090), and Hubei Province (75,000 kilograms, $94,870).

Exports of broken rice (commodity code 10064080) also saw significant growth, surpassing $7.89 million in Q1 2026, compared to just 216,000 kilograms valued at $78,000 in the same period last year. Total volume reached 24.92 million kilograms, with Guangdong Province importing 20.10 million kilograms worth $6.36 million, followed by Shandong Province (3.78 million kilograms, $1.19 million) and Henan Province (1.04 million kilograms, $347,070).

Additional shipments under related categories included Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Jiangsu provinces, collectively contributing millions of kilograms and over $3.6 million in value.

Pakistani rice exporters attribute the sharp increase to the improved quality of Pakistani rice, making it more competitive in the Chinese market. The expansion of Pakistan Pavilions across major Chinese cities, along with aggressive promotion through social media platforms, has also played a key role in boosting visibility and demand.