China officials have agreed to allow imports of U.S. rice for the first time ever, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Thursday.
The move would give U.S. farmers access to the world's biggest rice consumer, with China importing about 5 million tonnes last year, Perdue said in a statement.
China opened its rice market when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 but a lack of phytosanitary protocol between China and the United States effectively banned imports, according to trade group USA Rice.
"We waited a decade for the protocol to be signed and our members are anxious to meet the demand of China's consumers for safe, high-quality U.S. rice," USA Rice President Betsy Ward said in a statement, adding that China consumes the equivalent of the entire U.S. rice crop every 13 days.
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