Cotton Day Korea 2012

In celebration of Cotton Day 2012, Cotton Council International hosted Cotton Contemporary, a fashion event which featured the diverse use of cotton from stylish casual wear to formal evening wear created by Korean stylist Kim, Sung-il. Cotton Ambassador and K-pop star, Lee Hyo-ri, attended the event and explained why she enjoys wearing clothes made from cotton. The United States is Korea’s largest supplier of raw cotton and enjoys a 45 percent market share. In 2011, Korea imported $402 million in U.S. cotton and is forecast to remain a top-ten export market for U.S. cotton through much of the decade. To learn more about the Korean cotton market please see Korea Product Brief: Cotton

Seoul Food & Hotel, May 8-11, 2012

Implementation of the Korea -- U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) on March 15, 2012 brought renewed enthusiasm for agricultural trade between the United States and Korea. U.S. suppliers representing a wide array of products including, blueberries, dairy products, dehydrated potatoes, popcorn, and meat products, reported making many quality contacts and on-site sales of $700,000 and a preliminary estimate of expected sales during the next 12 months totaling $29.2 million. U.S. food and agricultural products exports to Korea reached a record $7.8 billion, in 2011. For more information on export opportunities to our 5th largest market under KORUS FTA please visit KORUS FTA.

Seoul Int’l Wine & Spirits Expo, May 3-5, 2012

New American Wine Showcase hosted by ATO Seoul during the Seoul Int’l Wine & Spirits Expo 2012, introduced 26 new-to-market wines from various regions of the United States (California, Washington, and Virginia) to a large number of Korean wine traders and consumers. In conjunction with the Expo, ATO Seoul hosted a “New American Wine Trends” seminar which was attended by 35 local wine opinion leaders and journalists, and highlighted the quality, value, and diversity of American wines. In 2011, U.S. wine exports to Korea totaled $12.3 million. To learn more about the Korean wine market please read Korea Wine Market Brief.