South Korea can now export its locally developed strawberries to Brazil, marking the country’s first-ever shipment of strawberries to South America.
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on March 4 that it had finalized quarantine negotiations with Brazil on Feb. 26, eight years after talks began in 2017. The tariff rate for exporting strawberries to Brazil will be 9%, lower than the 45% tariff rate imposed on strawberries imported into South Korea.
Strawberries are a major export product for South Korea, with last year’s export value reaching $67.53 million. Domestically developed varieties, such as Seolhyang and Jukhyang, are being exported and gaining strong popularity in Southeast Asia, particularly in markets like Singapore and Hong Kong.
Korean farmers wishing to export strawberries to Brazil must register their greenhouses and fruit sorting facilities with the quarantine agency and pass inspections before planting. The agency plans to finalize quarantine guidelines for Brazilian exports in the first half of this year. A quarantine official noted, “This agreement is expected to open the door to the Latin American market, which holds great potential with its population of 600 million.”
