Market access to South Korea (background information)
- The Republic of Korea remains a strongly protected market through̨ non-tariff instruments and administrative controls. Sectors of the Korean economy in which barriers arę most burdensome for Polish exporters include the agri-food industry, the medical industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. An additional obstacle is the lengthy procedures for obtaining the necessary documents and protracted negotiations with institutions whose scope includes the protection of the Korean market.
- Within these sectors, protective measures apply̨:
- Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA, formerly NVRQS) – which conducts strict̨ controls on imports and exporters of fresh animal and plant products themselves. As far as Poland is concerned, this currently applies to pork and beef producers and products, for which Korea currently maintains a ban on imports from Poland. The only countries allowed to export beef from EU countries are: Denmark and the Netherlands.
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (formerly Korea Food and Drug Administration – KFDA) – which supervises the import and distribution of other food products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agro-chemicals, and is also responsible for the registration of imported medical deviceś on the Korean market. The approval of food and cosmetic products for sale often requires the presentation of the exact composition of the products, together with a description of the technologies used and the production scheme, which in some cases contributed to Polish exporters abandoning entry into the Republic of Korea for fear of the possibility̨ of copying their production technologies of the products themselves
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) – introducing changes to the certification of organic processed food products marketed in South Korea (organic processed food management system)