South Korean food exports grow as non-compliance rates decline

South Korean food exports are expanding globally, while the rate of customs non-compliance relative to export volume has decreased. According to reports from the Korea Food Information Center, the number of non-compliance cases in 2025 fell by 24.8% compared to the average of the previous three years.

Despite the growth in export value, which rose from $5.17 billion in 2023 to $5.97 billion in 2025 across six major markets, the number of non-compliance cases per $100 million of exports dropped significantly from 7.9 in 2024 to 4.3 in 2025. Korean products currently account for a small fraction of total food non-compliance issues in major markets, averaging 1.7% over the last three years.

However, specific challenges remain depending on the region. In the United States, many recent non-compliance cases were administrative rather than safety-related, stemming from missed communications regarding FDA facility inspections. In China, issues primarily involve labeling errors and documentation, while Taiwan has seen cases of exceeding pesticide residue limits. Other noted issues include microbial standards in Japan, quarantine requirements in the EU, and iodine levels in seaweed exported to Australia.