EAEU Revises 2027 Duty-Free Quotas for Vietnamese Long-Grain Rice
The EAEU has allocated a 10,000-tonne duty-free quota for Vietnamese long-grain rice in 2027. Russia’s share will fall by 2% to 7,550 tonnes, while Belarus receives a 7.7% increase to 2,200 tonnes.
Russia remains the main quota holder
The Eurasian Economic Commission has approved the allocation of duty-free import quotas for Vietnamese rice entering the Eurasian Economic Union in 2027. The mechanism covers a total of 10,000 tonnes and applies exclusively to long-grain rice, a category that is barely cultivated within the bloc.
Russia will receive the largest country allocation at 7,550 tonnes, according to Zol.ru and Market Power. That is 2% below its 2026 quota of 7,708 tonnes. The reduction amounts to 158 tonnes and leaves Russia with more than three-quarters of the EAEU’s total duty-free volume.
The adjustment is limited in absolute terms, but it defines the amount that Russian importers can source from Vietnam without customs duties under the preferential arrangement. Shipments above the applicable quota would not receive the same duty-free treatment.
Belarus gains additional access
Belarus’s allocation will rise by 7.7%, from 2,042 tonnes in 2026 to 2,200 tonnes in 2027. The increase of 158 tonnes exactly offsets the reduction in Russia’s allocation, leaving the union-wide quota unchanged at 10,000 tonnes.
Armenia will retain an unchanged allowance of 250 tonnes. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan do not import Vietnamese rice through this quota mechanism and have received no allocation. The 2027 distribution is therefore concentrated in three of the EAEU’s five member states.
For Vietnamese suppliers, the decision does not expand overall preferential access to the EAEU market. It shifts a small part of that access from Russia to Belarus. Importers and distributors will consequently need to align contracts and customs clearance with the country-specific limits, even though the bloc’s aggregate duty-free opportunity remains stable.
Quota stems from the Vietnam trade agreement
The annual quota is provided for by the free trade agreement between the EAEU and Vietnam dated May 29, 2015. The Eurasian Economic Commission, the union’s permanent regulatory body, makes binding decisions on customs regulation, trade and macroeconomic policy across the member states.
The product restriction is commercially significant. The quota is reserved for long-grain rice rather than rice in general, reflecting the limited cultivation of this type within the EAEU. It therefore provides targeted access for a product segment where regional output is scarce, while retaining a fixed ceiling on duty-free supplies.
Decision comes amid changes to Russian rice trade rules
Market Power separately reported that Russia had cancelled an export quota for paddy rice to destinations outside the EAEU. The previous rules provided a zero export duty for shipments within a 200,000-tonne limit and imposed a duty equal to 50% of customs value above that threshold. The regime had been expected to remain in place until the end of 2026, but a new government resolution formally terminated it.
The export measure and the Vietnamese import allocation cover different products and trade channels. Together, however, they show that market participants must track both national Russian measures and EAEU-level preferences. For 2027 procurement planning, the immediate result is clear: total duty-free access for Vietnamese long-grain rice remains at 10,000 tonnes, with less assigned to Russia and more to Belarus.
