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Exporting soft drinks and other beverages from South Korea

Beverages are foods under the Food Sanitation Act, and food, additives and packaging made for export may follow the importer's standards and specifications. Raw and unpasteurised milk are designated quarantine objects that APQA quarantines where the importing country requires. Exports are declared to customs, and origin is proved for FTA rates.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Main law
Food Sanitation Act (식품위생법)
Export standards
May follow the importer's (Article 7(3))
Bottles, cans and packaging
May follow the importer's (Article 9(3))
Raw or unpasteurised milk
APQA export quarantine
Export declaration
To the head of a customs office (Customs Act)

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the drink made to Korean standards, or to the importer's for export only? Read more
  2. 2Do the bottle, can or carton meet the importer's packaging specifications? Read more
  3. 3Does it contain raw or unpasteurised milk that needs export quarantine? Read more
  4. 4Is the export declaration ready? Read more
  5. 5Does the buyer need a certificate of origin or FTA proof of origin? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Drinks and packaging made for export

How Korean standards and specifications apply to beverages and their containers that are exported.

  • MFDS sets standards for manufacturing, processing and storing foods and food additives for sale, and specifications for their ingredients (Article 7(1), Food Sanitation Act).
  • The standards and specifications for foods or food additives to be exported may follow those stipulated by importers (Article 7(3)).
  • The standards and specifications for apparatus, containers and packages to be exported may also follow the importer's (Article 9(3)).
  • The businesses making beverages are licensed under Article 37 by type and place of business.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the importer's specification for the drink and its packaging, with the test reports, beside each lot, dated. Ask about this

Milk-based drinks

Dairy products the Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases designates for export quarantine.

  • APQA lists dairy products, including raw milk and unpasteurised milk, among the designated objects subject to quarantine.
  • Exporting a designated object needs quarantine by an APQA officer unless the importing country does not require it, and follows the importing country's standards and methods (Article 41, Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases).
  • A certificate of quarantine is issued if no pathogen is found (Article 41(5)); APQA advises obtaining it before shipment.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the quarantine certificate and the importing country's conditions with each shipment of milk-based drinks, dated. Ask about this

Export declaration to customs

The Customs Act declaration for goods leaving Korea, and the checks customs makes on it.

  • A person who intends to export goods declares their names, standards, quantities and values, and other matters set by Presidential Decree, to the head of a customs office (Article 241(1), Customs Act).
  • The declaration is filed in the name of the owner of the goods or a licensed customs broker; an export declaration may also be filed in the name of the manufacturer that supplied the goods to the owner (Article 242).
  • For personal effects, consignments, unaccompanied goods and postal items, the declaration may be omitted or simplified as Presidential Decree prescribes (Article 241(2)).
  • Goods needing a permit, approval or label under other statutes at export are checked by customs for it at clearance (Article 226).
  • Korea Customs Service (KCS): the declaration goes to the customs office with jurisdiction over the place where the goods are stored, and customs may review documents or inspect the goods.
  • Goods are loaded onto the means of transport within 30 days of the declaration being accepted, extendable up to one year; otherwise acceptance may be revoked (Article 251).
  • KCS: a false declaration, or export without one, may be punished as a false report, smuggling or price manipulation under the Customs Act.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the invoice, packing details and permits behind each declaration with the shipment and lot, dated, and shows what is missing before the goods are declared. Ask about this

Origin marking and certificates of origin

Marking origin on goods, certificates of origin for exported goods, and proving origin to claim a free trade agreement rate in the destination.

  • Goods the Minister has publicly announced as subject to origin marking are marked when exported or imported; false or misleading marks are prohibited (Article 33, Foreign Trade Act).
  • A certificate of origin for exported goods is applied for under Article 37 of the Foreign Trade Act, on payment of a fee.
  • Under a free trade agreement, a certificate of origin is either issued by an agency after it verifies the origin, or prepared and signed by the exporter, producer or importer, as the agreement provides (Article 11, FTA Customs Act).
  • An approved exporter certified by KCS may prove origin itself and use simplified procedures where the agreement allows (Article 12).
  • An exporter or producer that finds an error in a document evidencing origin notifies the customs office and the importer (Article 14); documents evidencing origin are kept for up to five years, or longer where the agreement says so (Article 15).
  • KCS issues a Certificate of Non-Manipulation for goods in transit or stored in a bonded area, used to show direct consignment under an FTA.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps origin workings, certificates and supplier declarations with the shipment, dated, and reads them against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Drawback of duties on imported materials

Refund of customs duties paid on imported raw materials and packing used in exported goods.

  • Raw materials for export include materials combined into or used up in making the export goods, their packing materials, and goods imported and exported unchanged (Article 3, Drawback Act).
  • Exports eligible for refund include those with an export declaration accepted under the Customs Act (Article 4).
  • Duties are refunded on raw materials imported within two years before the date set by Presidential Decree, or three years in prescribed cases (Article 9).
  • The refund is applied for at a customs office designated by KCS within five years from the date the goods are offered for export (Article 14).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the import entries and export declarations that tie a refund to each lot, dated, so the record can be shown when customs asks. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe export declaration, any quarantine application and the origin documents.Declarations and certificates kept with each shipment, dated.
ManufacturerMaking the drink and its packaging to the agreed specification.Specifications and test reports ready for each export.
Customs broker or forwarderFiling the export declaration and loading within 30 days of acceptance.The documents behind each declaration in one record.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what soft drinks and other beverages have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Can Korean drinks for export follow the importing country's standards?
Yes. The standards and specifications for foods or food additives to be exported may follow those stipulated by importers (Article 7(3), Food Sanitation Act).
Do bottles and cans for export have to meet Korean food contact standards?
The standards and specifications for apparatus, containers and packages to be exported may follow those stipulated by importers (Article 9(3), Food Sanitation Act).
Do milk drinks need export quarantine?
APQA lists raw and unpasteurised milk among the dairy products designated for quarantine. Export quarantine applies unless the importing country does not require it (Article 41, Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases).
How do I declare beverages for export?
The exporter declares the goods' names, standards, quantities and values to the head of the customs office with jurisdiction over where they are stored (Article 241, Customs Act; KCS Export Declaration Guideline).
How long after the declaration must the goods be loaded?
Within 30 days of the declaration being accepted, extendable up to one year (Article 251, Customs Act).
Who issues certificates of origin for Korean exports?
A certificate of origin for exported goods is applied for under Article 37 of the Foreign Trade Act. For FTA rates, it is issued by an agency or prepared by the exporter, producer or importer, as the agreement provides (Article 11, FTA Customs Act).
Can a buyer check that my certificate of origin is genuine?
Yes. The Korea Customs Service runs an online check of a certificate of origin's authenticity by reference number and code.
Can I reclaim duty on imported ingredients used in exported drinks?
Duties on imported raw materials combined into exported goods, and their packing, may be refunded; apply within five years from the date the goods are offered for export (Drawback Act, Articles 3 and 14).
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from South Korea?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

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