Compliant Always
Get in touch

Exporting food from South Korea

Korean food law lets food made for export follow the importer's standards. Meat, dairy and egg products are designated quarantine objects: APQA quarantines them and issues a certificate where the importing country requires one. Fresh produce follows APQA's requirements for each country. Seafood plants can register under export sanitary standards, and exports are declared to customs.

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

Food standards
May follow the importer's (Food Sanitation Act, Article 7(3))
Meat, dairy, egg products
APQA export quarantine and certificate
Fresh produce
Phytosanitary certificate to each country's requirements
Seafood
Export sanitary standards and HACCP, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
Export declaration
To the head of a customs office (Customs Act)
Origin
Certificates of origin; FTA proof of origin

Before the goods leave

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

  1. 1Is the food made to Korean standards, or to the importer's standards for export only? Read more
  2. 2Is it a meat, dairy or egg product that needs APQA export quarantine? Read more
  3. 3Is it a fresh plant product, and what does the destination ask for on the phytosanitary certificate? Read more
  4. 4Is it a fishery product from a registered facility, or one the destination wants inspected? Read more
  5. 5Is the export declaration ready, with any permits customs will check? Read more
  6. 6Does 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.

Food made for export

How Korean standards and specifications apply to food, additives and packaging that is exported.

  • The standards and specifications for foods or food additives to be exported may follow those stipulated by importers, notwithstanding the MFDS standards (Article 7(3), Food Sanitation Act (식품위생법)).
  • The same applies to apparatus, containers and packages to be exported (Article 9(3)).
  • Livestock products for export may conform to the standards, processing standards and ingredient specifications required by an importer (Article 4(5), Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act (축산물 위생관리법)).
  • These exceptions cover standards and specifications; the businesses that make food are licensed under Article 37 of the Food Sanitation Act by type and place of business.
  • MFDS, a Mayor/Do Governor or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu may require livestock product businesses to report matters such as their export and import performance (Article 19, Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the importer's specification and the test reports against it with each lot, dated, and shows what the destination asks for beside them. Ask about this

Export quarantine for meat, dairy and egg products

Animal products the Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases designates for quarantine, handled by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA).

  • Designated objects include products taken from animals, such as flesh and eggs (Article 31, Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases (가축전염병 예방법)).
  • APQA lists them as including dairy products (raw milk, unpasteurised milk, milk powder, butter, cheese), egg products (table eggs, unsterilised egg white and egg powder) and meat products (meat, unsterilised ham, sausage and bacon).
  • A person exporting a designated object goes through quarantine by a quarantine officer, unless the importing country does not require quarantine (Article 41(1)); other animal products may be quarantined on application (Article 41(2)).
  • Export quarantine follows the standards and methods of the importing country's government, or the importer's where the government sets none; a certificate of quarantine is issued if no pathogen is found (Article 41(3) and (5)).
  • APQA: check first whether the importing country bans the product; a first export may need sanitary conditions and a certificate format agreed between governments.
  • APQA: apply to the regional office with the application, shipping documents and the importing country's requirements; obtain the certificate before shipment, as many countries do not accept animal health certificates issued after shipment.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the quarantine application, the importing country's conditions and the certificate with each shipment, dated, and shows what is missing before loading. Ask about this

Fresh produce and plant products

APQA publishes, by country and item, whether a Korean plant product can be exported and what the phytosanitary certificate must state.

  • APQA's database lists, for each country and item, whether export is possible and the export requirements, with 3,050 entries when read.
  • Requirements are often additional declarations on the phytosanitary certificate, for example that a consignment is free from named pests.
  • Example: pears to Egypt are inspected for the pests on Egypt's list and fire blight, and the import permit number is added to the phytosanitary certificate.
  • APQA names staff by region (China and Hong Kong, Viet Nam, Taiwan, Japan, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and others) and regional offices for advice.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the phytosanitary certificate and the destination's listed requirements with each consignment, and reads one against the other. Ask about this

Fishery products for export

Sanitary standards, HACCP and inspection set by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to meet foreign requirements.

  • To implement agreements with foreign countries or meet their sanitary standards, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries sets sanitary control standards for facilities producing or processing fishery products for export and for production sea areas (Article 69(1), Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act (농수산물 품질관리법)).
  • Where an agreement or a trading partner requires HACCP, the Minister sets HACCP rules for fishery products for export (Article 70(1)).
  • Facilities meeting the sanitary standards or HACCP rules may register with the Minister (Article 74).
  • Fishery products requiring inspection by agreement with a foreign country or at an export partner's request are inspected by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries (Article 88(1)).
  • The Ministers may certify grade, ingredients, harmful substances or residues of agricultural and fishery products to facilitate trade and export (Article 98).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the facility registration, inspection results and certificates with each lot, dated, and shows what is expiring before a shipment. 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

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe export declaration, the quarantine application and the certificates the buyer needs.Declarations, applications and certificates kept with each shipment, dated.
Manufacturer or processorMaking the food to the importer's specification and, for seafood, keeping registered facilities to the sanitary standards.Specifications, registrations 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.
APQA and the fisheries inspectorsExport quarantine, phytosanitary inspection and fishery inspection, and the certificates issued.Certificates read against what the destination asks for.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what food 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 food exported from South Korea follow the importing country's standards?
Yes. The Food Sanitation Act lets the standards and specifications for exported foods, additives and packaging follow those stipulated by importers (Articles 7(3) and 9(3)). Livestock products for export may likewise conform to the importer's requirements.
Do I need an export quarantine certificate for Korean meat products?
Meat, unsterilised ham, sausage and bacon are designated quarantine objects. Exporting them needs quarantine by an APQA officer unless the importing country does not require it, and a certificate is issued if no pathogen is found (Article 41, Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases).
Is milk powder, cheese or butter quarantined on export?
Yes. APQA lists dairy products, including raw milk, unpasteurised milk, milk powder, butter and cheese, as designated quarantine objects, quarantined to the importing country's standards.
Can I export eggs from South Korea?
Table eggs and unsterilised egg products are designated quarantine objects. APQA advises checking first whether the importing country bans them; a first export may need sanitary conditions and a certificate format agreed between the governments.
When should the animal health certificate be issued?
Before shipment. APQA notes many countries do not accept animal health certificates issued after shipment, and loading is checked against the certificate.
How do I find the requirements for exporting Korean fruit?
APQA's database lists, by country and item, whether export is possible and what the phytosanitary certificate must state. Pears to Egypt, for example, need inspection for listed pests and fire blight and the import permit number on the certificate.
Are there export rules for Korean seafood?
Yes. The Minister of Oceans and Fisheries sets sanitary standards and HACCP rules for export fishery facilities, which may register, and inspects fishery products where a foreign agreement or export partner requires it (Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act, Articles 69 to 88).
How long do I have to ship after the export declaration?
Goods are loaded within 30 days of the declaration being accepted, extendable up to one year; otherwise customs may revoke the acceptance (Article 251, Customs Act).
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.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in South Korea and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch