{
  "id": 14487443,
  "title": "DA cancels P700 million rice shipment from Vietnam",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/da-cancels-p700-million-rice-shipment-from-vietnam",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-14T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Philippine Star Business",
    "slug": "philippine-star-business",
    "url": "https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/10/15/2563239/da-cancels-p700-million-rice-shipment-vietnam"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Manila, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture has canceled a P700 million rice import permit from Vietnam, just days before the vessel carrying the cargo was expected to arrive in the country, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced. The permit, covering the MV Tay Son 2's cargo, was revoked before the ship reached Philippine waters. Tiu Laurel explained that the Department of Agriculture halted the shipment by instructing the Bureau of Plant Industry to cancel its sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance, despite the vessel already being en route to the Philippines. The import permit was ultimately canceled at the request of Planters Product Inc., which had applied to import 25% broken rice but was informed that the shipment contained 5% broken rice instead. Additionally, the contract had already expired, as the delivery was originally scheduled for July, just prior to the peak wet harvest season when supplies were particularly tight. Upon arriving at the Port of Davao on September 14, the MV Tay Son 2's captain refused to allow a Bureau of Plant Industry inspection of the cargo. The vessel subsequently left Davao on September 17 while the Bureau of Customs was still deciding how to handle the cargo. The DA subsequently issued a hold order on the shipment and warned customs authorities against any attempts to unload the rice elsewhere in the country. The Philippine Navy eventually intercepted the vessel off Sarangani and guided it back to the Port of General Santos City, where the captain once again resisted BPI efforts to inspect the cargo. The Bureau of Plant Industry had recommended returning the rice to Vietnam, and the Bureau of Customs may also seize the shipment and impose penalties, according to BPI's findings.",
  "summary": "Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) had ordered the cancellation of the import permit for a P700-million rice shipment from Vietnam, days before the vessel arrived in the Philippines.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}