K-food exports to Middle East rise 32% in first quarter despite war

An employee arranges ramen at E-Mart24’s K-Food Lab's Myeong-dong branch, March 16. Newsis

Despite the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, Korean food exports to the Middle East climbed more than 30 percent in the first quarter compared to a year earlier. Global exports also rose 4 percent, led by ramen and snacks.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Friday, the total export for Korean food in the first quarter, between January to March, recorded $2.56 billion (around 3.5 trillion won), up 4 percent from a year earlier. By region, the biggest export gains were recorded in the Middle East, up 32.3 percent, followed by Greater China at 14.5 percent and North America at 6.3 percent.

Despite logistical uncertainty in the Middle East since last month following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, exports to the region remained strong. While consumption in the conflict-affected region reportedly weakened, overall performance improved thanks to large shipments of tobacco and ginseng products through February. First-quarter exports to the Middle East came to $106.9 million.

Ramen led the overall export growth. First-quarter ramen exports rose 26.4 percent from a year earlier to $434.5 million. Among processed foods, snack exports increased 11.4 percent to $193.9 million, while beverages rose 4.5 percent to $163.7 million.

Processed rice products climbed 9.4 percent to $69.3 million, while ice cream exports jumped 18 percent to $31.2 million. Snacks and beverages in particular were believed to have performed strongly in China.

Rising demand for fresh produce from Korea

Fresh produce also saw rising demand. Strawberry exports increased 14.7 percent to $46 million, supported by strong demand from Singapore and Thailand. Grape exports, which totaled $17.3 million, climbed 24.6 percent after maintaining price competitiveness in Taiwan, their biggest market. Pear exports jumped 69.2 percent to $7.3 million, backed by solid demand in the U.S. market.

The government plans to step up support for exporters in case the Middle East conflict drags on. Kim Jung-wook, director general for agribusiness innovation policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said the ministry would help strengthen companies’ risk response capabilities by providing up-to-date logistics information and supporting online and offline promotions.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.