Petfood Trade Mission to SuperZoo 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada

ATO Seoul led a reverse trade mission, consisting of nine petfood buyers, to SuperZoo 2023 that took place in Las Vegas, Nevada in August. The activity was designed to promote U.S. petfood products by supporting Korean buyers to stay updated with latest market trends and to build business relationship with U.S. companies for quality petfood products. SuperZoo, one of the world most prominent trade shows in the pet industry, attracted the largest numbers of exhibitors and visitors this year in its history, and Korean participants met with potential U.S. partners for a variety of products at the trade show, some of which finalized sales contract on the show floor. During the trade mission program, Korean buyers also attended a networking event, visited distribution channels including pet food retail stores and boutiques where they were able to study the most popular products, as well as new and unique products, in the United States.

ATO Seoul Organizes U.S. Pavilion at Seoul Food 2023, KINTEX, May 30 – June 2, 2023

From May 30 - June 2, 2023, ATO Seoul organized a U.S. pavilion at Seoul Food 2023 for a visiting U.S. delegation consisting of 33 U.S. food exporters and 5 U.S. agricultural trade promotion organizations. Seoul Food is the biggest food-focused trade show in Korea and the U.S. pavilion was one of the largest exhibitors.  The delegation showcased a wide range of products including chocolate, edible oils, coffee, condiments, dried fruits, cheese, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, nuts, juice, meat, organic and vegan foods.

Marking the 70^th anniversary of the alliance between the United States and South Korea in 2023, the two countries have been important trade partners in many sectors, including in food and agriculture.  U.S. exports of agricultural and related products to Korea reached a record-high of over $10 billion in 2022, making Korea the fifth largest country export market for U.S. agricultural and related products.  The United States is the largest supplier of food and agricultural products to Korea, accounting for approximately 25% of the country’s imports in the sector.

Korean Seafood Trade Mission to Seafood Expo Global 2023 Leads to $11.3 million in Potential Export Sales

ATO Seoul brought five Korean seafood importers to the Seafood Expo Global (SEG) held in Barcelona, Spain, April 25-27, 2023; This trade mission introduced the Korean importers to American seafood products and suppliers at SEG. The trade mission resulted in several contracts for U.S. seafood signed on the spot as well as an estimated $11.3 million in potential purchases from U.S. seafood suppliers over the next 12 months. According to BICO data, the U.S.A. exported $455 million of seafood to Korea in 2022 and Korea is the United States fourth largest seafood export market.