China became one of the world's biggest importers of rice in 2012. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) show that China imported 2.6 million tons of milled rice in 2012, a record high and well above the 575,000 ton total the country imported in 2011.

Some analysts pin the surge in imports on the growing demand for rice among Chinese consumers. If this demand holds up - and many predict it will - the global rice market could be on the cusp of a major transition period.

Of course, it may also be the case that the prices of Chinese-grown rice are just higher right now than prices for similar products in the global market.

Indeed, the average price of rice imported from Vietnam into China was only $410 per ton in the middle of December, while rice produced here in China was $650 per ton during the same time, the WSJ reported.

The author is a consultant from Anbound Consulting.