Do Source and Quality matter in the Demand for Imported Rice in Côte d’Ivoire?

The first difference Almost Ideal Demand System is used to estimate the Ivorian rice import demand differentiated by sources and qualities. Research findings showed that the import demand of rice for all qualities and sources in Cote d’Ivoire is inelastic. Expenditure elasticities reveal that Thailand has the most to benefit from an expansion of the broken rice and the luxury rice market. India will gain from the growth of the standard rice market. Thailand has almost a monopole in the exports of broken rice to Cote d’Ivoire and thereby differentiation of imports of broken rice by its origin is not relevant. The inelasticity of demand for imported rice in Cote d’Ivoire has strong implications in the tariff policy debates of the ECOWAS custom union.