In a move which could signal a restoration imports for U.S. long grain rice, the European Union has decided to relax mandatory testing of U.S. long grain rice shipments for genetically modified organisms.

The EU had banned U.S. rice long grain rice imports in August 2006 after US long rain rice were found to be contaminated with genetically modified rice strain, Liberty Link 601, produced by Bayer AG (BAY).

Prior to the ban, U.S. rice exports in to the E.U. were over 200,000 MT per year.