foreign rice; imported rice
Refers to rice from abroad, often contrasted with 国産米 or domestic Japanese rice. 輸入米 is a more explicit modern term when the focus is on importation.
外米は国産米より価格が安いことがある。
Foreign rice is sometimes cheaper than domestically produced rice.
The government imported foreign rice to make up for the shortfall.
この店では料理に合わせて外米を使っている。
This restaurant uses foreign rice depending on the dish.
The dealer was selling foreign rice mixed with domestic rice.
外米 is rice grown abroad, while 国産米 is rice grown domestically in Japan.
A Sino-Japanese compound of 外, meaning outside or foreign, and 米, meaning rice; the spelling directly reflects the meaning.