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This report outlines specific requirements for food and agricultural product imports into the Republic of South Korea. Updates to the 2022 FAIRS Report are included in Sections I, II, IV, V, VI, VII, X and Appendix II.

Korea has a strong food processing industry that manufactures a wide variety of food and beverage products. It also relies heavily on imports to fulfill its food and agricultural needs.

The 2022 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2022 calendar year.

FAS/Seoul forecasts marketing year (MY) 2023/24 corn imports to remain flat, with U.S. market share gradually recovering towards the end of the year. Wheat imports are expected to decline towards the long term average as feed wheat loses a temporary price advantage over corn.

South Korea's rebounding consumer demand for beef and pork, together with elevated retail prices, led to greater domestic slaughter and import totals in 2022 and into 2023.

The Korea oilseeds and products market is mature with limited annual change, reflecting stable consumer demand and stagnant domestic production.

This report provides updates to the Korea Rice Production 2022 report issued by FAS/Seoul on June 28, 2022, based on new data released by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) in December 2022.

On December 27, 2023, Korea issued its flexible tariffs (Adjustment and Tariff Rate Quota) list for certain agricultural, forestry and fishery products for calendar year (CY) 2023.

The volume of U.S. fresh, dried, and processed fruit exports between 2012/13 and 2021/22 dropped 29 percent to 2.9 million metric tons[1]. However, a 25-percent gain in unit value during this period softened the decrease in value to just 11 percent lower as trade dropped $700 million to $6.0 billion.

As the 5th largest country export market for the United States, Korea provides a promising market for U.S. agricultural products. In 2021, Korea imported about $43 billion agricultural & food products from all over the world and the U.S. supplied a quarter of it, ranking number one. Other key suppliers were China, Australia, Brazil, and Vietnam.

U.S. beef exports to East Asia in 2022 are again on record pace after a record year in 2021. Despite economic uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, continued global supply chain challenges, and a competitive global beef market, U.S. beef exports to East Asia, both in value and volume, were outstanding in the first half of 2022.

Reduced open field "Unshu" mandarin harvest in the southern part of Jeju Island will drive Korea's total citrus production down slightly in 2022/23. Overall fruit quality is expected to be above average following reduced rainfall during the growing period, with higher Brix and lower sourness levels.