韩国考虑从美国进口更多大米，并收购造船厂。（东亚日报） ...

Group 1 - Japan's private sector rice imports are expected to increase approximately 20 times in FY2025 due to soaring staple food prices, leading restaurants and businesses to turn to foreign alternatives [1] - Major trading companies and wholesalers are projected to import over 40,000 tons of rice this fiscal year, equivalent to the annual consumption of about 700,000 people, with most imports coming from the United States [1] - The Japanese government is considering expanding its tariff-free minimum access quota for rice imports as part of trade negotiations with the United States, with a current framework allowing for the import of 770,000 tons of rice annually [3] Group 2 - Kanematsu plans to import 20,000 tons of rice from the U.S. by December, doubling its initial plan, and has signed contracts for over 10,000 tons with restaurants and retailers [3] - Shinmei is set to import 20,000 tons of rice by July, with half of the demand coming from commercial clients and the other half from households and retail stores [3] - Kitoku Shinryo aims to import nearly 10,000 tons of rice in FY2025, which is about double its current import volume [3] Group 3 - The private sector's rice imports have quadrupled in the first 11 months of FY2024, with 1,497 tons imported compared to the entire FY2023 volume [4] - The average retail price for 5 kilograms of rice has risen to 4,217 yen, more than double the price from the previous year, despite government efforts to release rice from reserves [4] - Even with tightened domestic supply, demand for cheaper imported rice may persist, as indicated by wholesalers [4] Group 4 - The restaurant industry is increasingly accepting imported rice, with Colowide using California's Calrose rice in its chain locations and Yoshinoya Holdings and Matsuyah Foods switching to a mix of domestic and imported rice [5]