ATO Seoul Launches KORUS Agricultural Trade Quarterly Roundtable, July 25, 2012

The Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, launched its “KORUS Agricultural Trade Quarterly Roundtable” on July 25, 2012, to further enhance the dialogue between Korea and the United States on economic and business conditions affecting agricultural trade. The forum, which was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Millennium Hilton Hotel is intended to help strengthen trade ties between Korea and the United States. The keynote address, titled “World Economy & International Grain Market Outlook” was delivered by Byung Ryul Kim, PhD, from the Korea Rural Economic Institute, and focused on economic and business trends affecting trade post KORUS FTA implementation. The keynote address was followed by an ATO presentation on “Korean Agricultural Trade Patterns.” The quarterly roundtable meeting was attended by about 75 members of the Korean food and agriculture business community. The next quarterly breakfast roundtable will be held in late October 2012. For more information on this forum and other ATO Seoul activities please contact ATOSeoul@fas.usda.gov.

Korean Buying Mission to IFT, Las Vegas, June 25-28, 2012

ATO Seoul led a food ingredients Korean buying mission to Nevada and California to develop contacts with U.S. suppliers of food ingredients for processing. At the annual IFT show the Korean buyers met with U.S. suppliers and reported $4.8 million in expected purchases over the next 12 month as a result of the show. Juices and fruit were principal food ingredients of interest as buyers sought, freeze dried fruits, candied fruits and frozen IQF fruit. While the primary target of the mission was the IFT show in Las Vegas, the team stopped in California in route for site visits to Perricone Juices, Hip Hop Beverage and HanahMax Bakery. Site visits were arranged by the Center for International Trade Development, Fresno and California Department of Food and Agriculture.

California State Trade Export Program visits Seoul, June 13-16, 2012

California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross led a trade mission to Korea during which 28 Californian food companies explored new trade opportunities resulting from the recently implemented Free Trade Agreement with Korea. Mission members met with Korean importers in one-on-one business meetings and gained firsthand knowledge of the Korean market by visiting both modern state-of-the-art grocery stores and traditional wet markets which co-exist in Korea today. Secretary Ross met with Mr. Jong Jin Kim, Deputy Minister of Trade, Ministry of Food, Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries and conducted site visits to Jinwon and Gilim, major Korean importers of California citrus and nuts, respectively. During the visit to Seoul, Secretary Ross also hosted a “Taste of California” media event with celebrity chef Edward Kwon which profiled Californian food & wine in fusion cuisine and promoted California as an agri-tourism destination. The successful mission was capped by an evening reception hosted by Ambassador Kim at his residence.