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.

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.