In mid-April, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency Korea (APQA) advised Australia’s Seoul Agriculture Counsellor of the high compliance rates achieved across the approximately 3,000 tonnes (175 consignments) of Australian table grapes exported to the Republic of Korea (ROK) this season. This result reflects ongoing work by Australian table grape growers and exporters to produce and deliver high-quality exports that fully meet trading partner requirements and expectations.
Positive compliance results come in addition to APQA advice in February that the revision of the table grape protocol has been finalised, removing the requirement for pre-clearance inspections in favour of on-site verification.
Removing the requirement for pre-clearance inspectors reduces costs and provides greater flexibility for table grape growers. This will support the ability of Australian growers to trade throughout the full seasonal tariff window under the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
What exporters should do
Exporters may wish to investigate the opportunities available in the ROK market following the removal of the requirement for pre-clearance inspections.
Resources
For further information and assistance in the ROK market, contact Emma.Hatcher@dfat.gov.au, Counsellor (Agriculture) Seoul.
Import requirements for table grapes to ROK are available through the Manual of Importing Country Requirements website.
Market overview
- Australian table grape exports to Korea have increased from A$520,800 in 2017 to A$43.8 million to 2020 (ABS 2021).
- In 2020, Korea was Australia’s third-largest table grape destination behind China and Indonesia and slightly above Japan.
- Over 2015-19, Korea imported US$174 million of table grapes (UN Comtrade, 2021).
- Australia was Korea’s third largest supplier of table grapes after Chile and the USA.
For more information: austrade.gov.au