Korea to Export Rice to US
The first ever export of rice from Korea to the US has been announced:
A shipment of South Korean rice was headed to the United States on Tuesday, marking the first time that the country has exported its staple food amid efforts to protect the rice market from foreign imports.
The 2-ton shipment, set to be airlifted later Tuesday, is part of 52.5 tons of rice that a Korean-American businessman in Los Angeles, Warren Jung, is importing, said Song Mi-ryong, an official of the North Jeolla provincial government in the country’s southwest.
Koreans living in Los Angeles were expected to be the main consumers of the Korean rice, Song said.
The 136 million won (US$146,000; �109,000) deal marks South Korea’s first rice export.
Song said the importer, Jung, agreed to buy an additional 1,050 tons and is scheduled to sign a US$2.73 million (�2.04 million) contract Wednesday.
The export to “the U.S., a major rice producing nation, represents evidence that U.S. consumers recognized the quality of North Jeolla province rice,” said Kim Wan-joo, governor of the province.
Actually no Mr. Governor because like the article states Korean-Americans are the ones expected to buy the rice, not the general American public. Additionally what I find interesting is that the US is allowing South Korea to export their rice to America and yet the US cannot export rice to South Korea.
Yes I am sure rice that is well more expensive than American rice will compete well in the US. The Koreans in the US are not idiots….unless they buy the more expensive rice being imported today.
yeah, korean americans are us consumers. thus, the korean man's statement is accurate.