The European Union (EU) will decide whether to restore rice tariffs for imports from Myanmar early next year. Brussels has denied the move is related to the country’s alleged human rights violations in northern Rakhine. “The rapid increase of Myanmar’s Indica rice exports has overwhelmed some European producers. The EU will therefore probably reinstate customs duties to protect them,” a spokesperson of the EU Delegation to Myanmar said. Myanmar currently benefits from the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) arrangement, part of the bloc’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP). The arrangement gives least developed countries customs- and quota-free access to the world’s largest market for all products except arms. Duties are to protect EU industries which are harmed by “excessive imports at low prices”. In order to protect the industries, Brussels will reduce or even withdraw the specific trade privileges. EU is currently undertaking an investigation to decide if trade preferences are putting EU producers under pressure.