Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo 2013

Pan-seared Chesapeake ray wings in bean paste sauce and scallops prepared by Virginia chef John Maxwell was enjoyed by appreciative crowds including Mr. Huh, Nam Shik, Mayor of Busan City at the U.S. Pavilion at the Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo. ATO Seoul teamed up with the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), Ariel Seafoods of Florida, Virginia Seafood Company, J&R Seafood (Cambridge, Maryland) and Sea Watch International (Easton, Maryland) to exhibit U.S. croaker, blue crab, lobster, red snapper, mackerel, mullet roe, scallop, American eel, shrimp, surf clams, porgy, Jonah crab claw, whelk sea snail, black drum, sheepshead, ocean clams, chowders and more at the 11th annual exhibition held in Busan, Korea. The United States exports more than $160 million in seafood products to Korea annually, and this year’s sales are tracking about 23 percent ahead of last year’s pace. For more information on the Korean seafood market please read ATO Seoul Seafood Products Annual Report April 2013

2013 Oregon and Washington State Wine Show

A delegation representing of 24 wineries under the coalition of the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) and Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC) hosted a trade tasting and seminar in Conrad Hotel Seoul on November 11. Leslie A. Bassett, Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy Korea made opening remarks, recognizing the strong trade partnership between South Korea and the United States. The event provided over 500 Korean wine traders with an opportunity to develop business contacts with the wineries while expanding their knowledge and experience about the quality, value and diversity of Oregon and Washington state wine. Oregon and Washington State represent two world-class wine regions, each with its own distinct character and uniqueness, but with a shared dedication for furthering American wine’s prominence on the global stage. With over 1,250 wineries represented by the two organizations, joint effort between the Oregon Wine Board and Washington State Wine Commission will expand the export market for American wine around the world. More information about the Oregon and Washington state wine can be found in the OWB and WSWC website. Despite a challenging economic environment, the South Korean wine market continues to recover. Korea’s wine imports in the first half of 2013 totaled $85.2 million, up 25.9 percent from the same period previous year. Imports from the United States amounted to $9.7 million during the period, up 30.9 percent. Strong growth of wine sales in large-scale hypermarket retail stores coupled with elimination of the import duty under the United States - Korea Free Trade Agreement has been the key momentum behind the outstanding performance of American wine. Additionally, the diversifying tastes of Korean consumers is likely to provide American wine with new opportunities in Korea in the coming years. More information about the Korean wine market can be found in Korea Wine Market Brief 2013, available in ATO Seoul website (www.atoseoul.com).

2013 California Wines Tasting, Seoul

California Wine Institute (CWI) brought a delegation of 59 California wineries to Seoul for both consumer and trade events, October 9-10, 2013. Consumer Tasting on October 9 (Conrad Hotel Seoul) allowed over 150 local opinion-leaders to expand their perspective on California wine by tasting wines from diverse sub-Californian appellations. Trade Seminar on October 9 (Sheraton Hotel D Cube Seoul) provided over 50 professionals from the Korean industry with an in-depth education on the Paso Robles region with expert presentations and guided tasting. The seminar was followed by Trade Tasting which showcased some 300 different California wines to over 400 wine traders in Korea. Many of the wines were new-to-market products so the event also served a tool to develop business contacts between the suppliers and local importers. California remains the dominant supplier of American wine to Korea. Imports of American wine to Korea totaled $9.7 million during the first half of 2013, up over 31 percent from the same period previous year. The Korean wine market continues to recover from the economic slowdown and is likely to see a record-high imports in 2013.