WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/AG/W/71 
8 September 2009 
 (09-4234) 
Committee on Agriculture Original:   English 
 
 
 
MINIMUM MARKET ACCESS COMMITMENTS FOR RICE 
 
Communication from the Republic of Korea   
 
  The following report, dated 2 September 2009, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the Republic of Korea .  This document has been prepared for a multilateral review of 
the implementation of Korea's commitments as specifie d in Schedule LX - Republic of Korea (please 
refer to G/MA/TAR/RS/98). 
 
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I. RESULTS OF THE 2004 RICE NEGOTIATION  
1. The Special Treatment provisions (Annex 5 of  the Agreement on Agriculture) for rice were 
extended for an additional 10 years, i.e. until 2014.   According to the agreement, there shall be a 
multilateral review of implementation of the minimum market access for rice in the fifth year, i.e. in 
2009.  
A. ALLOCATION OF THE MINIMUM MARKET ACCESS (MMA)   
2. The total MMA volume will increase in equal an nual installments from 225,575 metric tons 
(milled basis) in 2005 to 408,700 me tric tons (milled basis) in 2014. 
3. The existing MMA volume of 205,228 metric tons  (milled basis) shall be allocated to the 
following Members, based on the historical trade flows registered during the period 2001 to 2003 (Country-Specific Quotas - CSQs): 
(a) China:  116,159 metric tons; 
(b) United States:  50,076 metric tons; 
(c) Thailand:  29,963 metric tons; 
(d) Australia:  9,030 metric tons.  
4. Future growth in the MMA volume shall be administered on an MFN basis (global quota).  A 
limited portion may be allocated for domestic needs for specialty rice. 
5. A portion of the MMA volume shall be used for table rice, which shall be phased in from no 
less than 10 per cent to no less than 30 per cent of  the total MMA volume by the sixth year of the 
implementation period.  
Table 1:  Annual MMA volume  
(Unit: metric tons, milled basis)  
Category 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 
◦ CSQ 205,228 205,228 205,228 205,228 205, 228 205,228 205,228 205,228 205,228 205,228
- China 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159
- United States 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076
- Thailand 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963 29,963
- Australia 9,030 9,030 9,030 9, 030 9,030 9,030 9,030 9,030 9,030 9,030
◦ MFN 20,347 40,694 61,042 81,389 101, 736 122,083 142,430 162,778 183,125 203,472
Total 225,575 245,922 266,270 286,617 306, 964 327,311 347,658 368,006 388,353 408,700
(Table rice) 22,557 34,429 47,928 63, 055 79,810 98,193 104,297 110,401 116,505 122,610
(Proportion) 10% 14% 18% 22% 26% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30%
 G/AG/W/71 
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  B. U TILIZATION OF IMPORTED RICE  
6. Table rice shall have access to normal marketi ng channels, wholesalers, distributors and end-
users.  Table rice shall be marketed in a timely fashio n so that its quality for table use is not adversely 
affected by the storage time. 
II. ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION RECORD  
7. Implementation of all MMA from 2005 to 2008 w as completed. The tendering process for the 
2009 quota has been underway since August 2009.  
Table 2:  Annual import record  
 (Unit: metric tons, milled basis)  
Category 2005 2006 2007 2008 
CSQ 205,228 196,198 174,705 196,198 
China 116,159 116,159 116,159 116,159 
United States 50,076 50,076 50,076 50,076 
Thailand 29,963 29,963 8,4702) 29,963 
Australia 9,030 01) 01) 01) 
Global quota 20,347 49,724 53,995 90,419 
Total 225,575 245,922 228,700 286,617 
Table rice 21,5643) 34,429 46,9282) 63,055 
1) Australia's CSQ volume from 2006 to 2008 was converted into a global quota, and purchased in that 
unit. 
2) The import of 37,570 tons of the 2007 volume was not implemented due to a non-fulfillment of 
contract by Thai traders.  
3) Originally, 993 tons of table rice were allocated to  Australia.  Pursuant to Australia's request, however, 
the volume was converted to processing use. 
 
III. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GLOBAL QUOTA  
8. The global quota is being administered on an MFN basis.  The volume of the global quota is 
allocated by type, with consideration of such f actors as the import price of each type and domestic 
demand.  As Australia relinquished its CSQ for 2006 to 2008, the quota was implemented by 
converting it into a global quota. G/AG/W/71 
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  Table 3:  Annual allocation and bidders of the global quota   
 (Unit: metric tons, milled basis) 
Outcome of Allocation 
Category 
long grain medium grain short grain free broken rice 
Allocation 3,052 6,104 11,191 - - 2005 
(20,347 tons) Bidder Thailand United States China - - 
Allocation 6,104 13,025 21,565 - - 2006* 
(40,694 tons) Bidder Thailand United States China - - 
Allocation 9,156 19,534 32,352 - - 2007* 
(61,042 tons) Bidder Thailand United States China - - 
Allocation 9,156 19,534 32,352 20,347 - 2008* 
(81,389 tons) Bidder Thailand United States China Thailand - 
Allocation 9,000 31,270 40,119 1,000 
(Glutinous rice) 20,347 2009P) 
(101,736 tons) Bidder - - - - - 
* Excludes the converted volume from Australia's CSQ into a global quota, from 2006 to 2008.  
 
Table 4:  Allocation and bidding of relinquished Australia's CSQ  
(Unit: metric tons, milled rice)  
Rice Allocation Bidding Result 
 
table rice non table rice table rice non table rice 
2006 1,515 tons / short grain 7,515 tons / long grain China Thailand 
2007 2,109 tons / medium grain 6,921 tons / long grain United States Thailand 
2008 2,774 tons / medium grain 6,256 tons / broken rice China Thailand 
 
IV. ADMINISTRATION OF IMPORTED TABLE RICE  
9. Imported table rice is being sold through comp etitive public auctions conducted by the 
Agricultural Fishery Trade Corporation.  The aucti ons for 2005 to 2007 are completed.  An auction 
for the 2008 volume is now underway. 
10. As of August 2009, 428 companies are participating in the public auction including grain 
wholesale or retail companies (316), grain wholesal e brokers (67) and agricultural produce wholesale 
or retail companies (45).  The companies, which deal with rice in practice, handle imported rice 
regardless of their own size.  
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