Jeju farmers protest tariff-free US mandarins, Coupang's sale of imported fruits

A tourist picks tangerines at a cafe on Jeju Island, Dec. 8, 2025. Yonhap

Citrus growers and politicians on Jeju Island are expressing concerns over the elimination of tariffs on mandarin oranges imported from the United States, which took effect this year under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).

They have urged the central and municipal governments to take steps to protect the island’s citrus industry while condemning Coupang for promoting imported agricultural products.

“We urge the government to act immediately to compensate for the damage and stabilize supply and demand,” local farmers’ groups said during a joint press conference on Tuesday.

The Jeju branch of the Korean Successor Advanced Farmers Federation also called for a “special emergency tariff,” as permitted under the Customs Act. The president can impose such a tariff when the volume of agricultural imports rises rapidly.

When the KORUS FTA was signed in 2012, Korea agreed to gradually cut its 144 percent tariff on U.S. mandarins by 9.6 percentage points each year, phasing it out completely by 2026. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs noted that this tariff elimination had been anticipated for the past 15 years.

However, Jeju’s farmers point to the unexpectedly sharp increase in U.S. mandarin imports.

According to the Korea Customs Service, imports of U.S. mandarins grew from 0.1 tons in 2017 to 7,619 tons in 2025. Their value climbed from $1.7 million in 2021 to $20 million in 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also showed strong interest in the Korean market by releasing a report on Korean tangerine production last month. The report projected that Korea’s imports of U.S. mandarins produced in 2025 would reach 16,000 tons — more than double the previous year’s volume.

As more orange farms in California switch to mandarin production to meet consumer demand, concerns are rising that their exports to Korea in the spring season could intensify competition with Jeju’s citrus growers.

Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun speaks during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Citrus Day at Bongeun Temple in Seoul, Dec. 6, 2025. Yonhap

In response, lawmakers across party lines have expressed support for the farmers and called for government countermeasures.

“I asked the agriculture ministry to keep a close watch on market conditions and compensate for FTA-related losses,” Rep. Wi Seong-gon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said in a social media post on Tuesday.

The main opposition People Power Party emphasized the need for policies that protect the entire citrus industry, not just individual farmers.

Progressive minor parties demanded stronger action.

“The government should stop expanding tariff-free imports of U.S. mandarins,” the Justice Party’s Jeju branch said in a statement. “We need to request an emergency import control or an emergency tariff.”

As the issue coincided with public criticism of Coupang over its data breach, Jeju’s farmers also mentioned the e-commerce giant when calling for countermeasures against U.S. mandarin imports.

“We strongly warn Coupang for promoting the distribution of imported agricultural products,” the farmers’ groups said. “The platform is no longer just a sales channel — it influences prices, consumer choices and the entire agricultural market.”

In 2024, Coupang earned 3.15 trillion won ($2.2 billion) in revenue from imported food sales. However, the company has never donated to the public fund established to assist farmers and fishers affected by FTAs.

Jeju’s farmers urged the e-commerce firm to boost sales of domestic citrus products and curb its promotion of imported produce.