HANOI - China imported 1.135 million tons of rice from Vietnam, worth $472.4 million in the first five months of 2013, making it continue to be the largest consumer of Vietnamese rice.

The figures represent year-on-year increases of 27.8 percent in volume and 24.1 percent in value, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) on Tuesday.

China accounted for 36.4 percent of Vietnam's total rice exports followed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and the Ivory Coast.

In the first six months this year, Vietnam shipped nearly 4.2 million tons of rice abroad, pocketing nearly $1.9 billion.

Vietnam sets target to export some 7.5 million tons of rice in 2013.