Browse Data and Analysis

Sections Updated: Section I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, X and Appendix II

This report includes technical information and certificate requirements for food and agricultural product exports to the Republic of Korea.

Sugar cane production in MY 2026 is forecast at 10.25 million metric tons while cane sugar production is forecast to reach 1.3 MMT. Sugar exports from Peru in MY 2026 are forecast at 150,000 MT while the United States is the principal destination under the U.S. sugar tariff-rate quota program.

After reaching a five-year high in 2024, Korea’s potato production will return to average levels in 2025.

Aquaculture production in 2023 declined steeply to 105,091 metric tons (MT), a 25.43% decrease from 2022. The Peruvian aquaculture industry exported 4.5 million MT in 2023, a decrease of 12.56% from 2022 levels.

While per capita grain consumption in Korea remains steady, or declining in the case of rice, increased manufacturing of K-food for exports drives total consumption, offsetting decreases in other sectors.

FAS/Seoul forecasts 2025 Korean cattle production and slaughter will drop to 951,000 head and 1,078,000 head respectively. FAS/Seoul forecasts 2025 beef imports to dip to 574,000 metric tons (MT).

Peru boasts a thriving food processing industry that plays a crucial role in its economy. This sector contributes approximately 27 percent to the country's industrial gross domestic product.

Although domestic soybean production is forecast to reach a 20-year high in marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Korea will remain dependent on imports for 89 percent of total supply.

Wheat production in MY 2025/2026 (July-June) is forecast at 217,000 metric tons (MT), reflecting a slight increase compared to the previous year's estimate. Wheat imports in MY 2025/2026 are forecast at 2.2 MMT.

On January 14, 2025, Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) published new import health requirements (IHRs) for pet food, which are effective immediately. With the new IHRs, there is now a pathway to approve U.S. pet food products containing ruminant ingredients, which had been banned since 2003.

In 2023, Peru was the 28th-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, valued at $851 million, making it the 3rd-largest market in South America. The U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) entered into force in February 2009, and U.S. agricultural exports reached $1 billion for the first time in 2014, peaking at $1.36 billion in 2018. The United States accounts for 14 percent of Peru's agricultural import market share, positioning it as the second-largest supplier to the country.