U.S. Food Export to South Korea

Chihade International supplies American food products to MFDS-registered importers and foodservice distributors in South Korea, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in Korea.

Why South Korea

South Korea is the fifth-largest market in the world for U.S. agricultural exports, taking $8.9 billion in 2024, up 11%, with the U.S. supplying around 21% of Korea’s total agricultural imports.

Retail food sales run to $132 billion and foodservice to $147 billion. Food and agricultural goods make up over 30% of all online transactions, with mobile accounting for roughly three quarters of e-commerce — a distribution reality worth planning around. The fastest-growing U.S. categories are juices (+25%), fresh fruit (+21%), tree nuts (+18%) and chocolate and cocoa (+18%).

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in South Korea — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• Korean-language labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is the competent authority, supported by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Korea Customs Service and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Two registrations matter, and the second is the one exporters forget. The importing business must register with the regional MFDS office. Separately, the foreign manufacturing facility must be pre-registered with MFDS at least seven days before the import declaration, valid for two years — without it the declaration is rejected outright. FSIS-listed meat and poultry plants are recognised automatically; dairy and egg facilities need government-level registration.

Labels must be in Korean, and English content must match the Korean. Usefully, Korean labels other than country-of-origin marking may be applied locally in the bonded area, which gives some operational flexibility — though we normally label in Georgia to keep clearance simple.

Under the KORUS Free Trade Agreement, in force since 2012, nearly all U.S. food tariffs are eliminated or in final phase-down; beef duties complete a fifteen-year reduction from 40% to zero in 2026, and most pork reached zero in 2016.

Busan handles around 77% of Korea’s container throughput; Incheon International handles air freight.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in South Korea?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside South Korea. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

Are there still restrictions on U.S. beef into Korea?

Yes. The under-30-month age restriction on U.S. beef remains in force, enforced through the USDA AMS Quality System Assessment programme — Korea rejects shipments lacking the QSA statement. Imported and processed beef products are not eligible. Easing has been discussed in trade negotiations but we do not treat it as changed until it is.

What is the foreign facility registration, and who does it?

MFDS requires the U.S. manufacturing facility to be registered at least seven days before the import declaration, with two-year validity. We manage this on the U.S. side for the plants we source from, so your declaration is not rejected at the border.

Does KORUS mean our shipments are duty free?

For most categories, effectively yes — nearly all U.S. food tariffs are eliminated or in final phase-down under KORUS, with beef reaching zero in 2026. We confirm the position for your specific product codes and prepare the origin documentation.

How We Work With Partners in South Korea

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in South Korea.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Export documentation, in plain English  ·  Container consolidation for food importers  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in South Korea

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.