Browse Data and Analysis

Ample opportunities exist for U.S. agricultural exports to South Korea. Highlighted in the chart above, U.S. agricultural product exports were a record $9.5 billion in 2022, up 2 percent from 2021. South Korea is the sixth largest export market for the United States, thanks in part to a successful free trade agreement (KORUS) between the two countries and a robust demand for high-quality U.S. food products.

On December 15, 2021, the State Council Tariff Commission (SCTC) announced its 2022 annual tariff adjustment plan that sets tentative import and export tariff rates for select tariff lines.

Lower overseas demand, competition in key export markets, and COVID-19 related restrictions on imported raw materials in the processing sector reduced China’s 2020 seafood import volume by 12.8 percent to 3.81 MMT.

On October 11, 2021, China’s State Standardization Committee published an amended National Standard for Feed Material – Fish Meal (GB/T 19164-2021).

Effective November 12, 2021, ready-to-eat oysters harvested from Samish Bay in Washington State are once again eligible for export to Hong Kong following a ban imposed on July 2021.

Hong Kong authorities reported a detection of COVID-19 virus on imported frozen cuttlefish from Malaysia. Detections were identified on the slice surface and its inner packaging during precautionary testing at the point of entry.

On October 12, 2021, the United States Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Morocco completed a sanitary certificate for exports of live U.S. aquatic animals.

Vietnam is an emerging economy in Southeast Asia that has experienced rapid growth and development during the last few decades. As has historically been the case in many countries, growth in animal-based protein consumption has gone hand-in-hand with this economic development.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) released precautional notes explaining its food safety regulatory vision for fish products developed using genome editing technology.

China's customs administration published interpretative guidance regarding labeling requirements for imported food, including fresh and frozen meat, aquatic products, health food, and food for special dietary purposes.

The outlook for U.S. products in the Korean retail industry is excellent for a wide range of products.

The Polish fish processing industry is the fourth-largest in Europe, with 240 plants shipping products throughout the EU.