Traditionally, countries in Asia have the largest share in world rice production. With over 200 million metric tons, China is the world’s leading rice producer, while India is the country with the largest area where rice is harvested.The United States produces more than eight million metric tons of paddy rice, which places it among the top 20 rice producers globally. Production value amounted to some 3.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2014. Leading U.S. states in rice production are Arkansas, California and Louisiana. The United States is among the leading 5 rice exporters worldwide, primarily shipping this commodity to Mexico, Japan and Haiti. Other major rice exporting nations include India, Thailand and India, with around 10, 8.5 and 7 million metric tons respectively. The largest rice importers are China and Nigeria .