|
Capital: Seoul
Population: 48,636,000
Currency: Won
Official Language(s): Korean |
I.
CHEMICAL MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS (MRLs)
II. CHEMICALS AND ADDITIVE INFORMATION
A. Chemical residue standards:
Korea uses its own standards.
The
Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) is responsible for
regulating pesticide residues in foodstuffs, in accordance with
the maximum residue levels (MRLs) set in the Food Code.
As of July 2006, KFDA had set MRL in foods for 370 pesticides.
If an MRL is established in the Food Code for a given
agricultural chemical, other tolerance levels, such as Codex. are not accepted.
However, tentative limits for pesticide
residues in agricultural products shall apply. If a
pesticide, where residue limits for an agricultural product is
not established is detected in the agricultural product in
question, the following tentative limits shall apply to
determine whether the product is acceptable or not:
1. The Codex
standard shall apply;
2. If the provision above in 1. is not applicable, the
lowest of the residue limits of the pesticide in question
specified for similar agricultural products shall apply to the
agricultural products which the pesticides detected. (A
similar agricultural product refers to a product that is
classified within the same type of "classification of
agricultural products." In case of types of nuts and
seeds, fruits and vegetables, the lowest MRLs of group shall be
used.); and
3. If the provision above in 1 and 2 are not applicable, the
lowest of the residue limits of the pesticide shall apply to the
detected pesticide.
B. Monitoring chemical residues:
C. Restrictions on use of waxes:
Korea allows the use of five different types
of wax as food additives: beeswax, petroleum wax, carnauba wax,
rice bran wax and candelilla wax. These five waxes do not have a
tolerance level (MRL) set. Food additives which are listed
in the Korean Food Additive Code but do not have a MRL set,
should be used following good manufacturing practices.
III. ORGANIC FRUIT REGULATIONS
Imported produce to be labeled
in Korean as organic must receive certification from an official agency
recognized by the National Agricultural Products Quality
management Service (NAQS) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
NAQS has officially designated 31 Korean certification
agencies. No foreign entities have been
designated. Produce certified as organic by U.S. entities
still needs to be certified by NAQS approved agencies in order to
carry a Korean language organic label. A foreign language
organic label (such as the USDA organic logo) is permitted as long
as "organic" is not included in the Korean language
label.
IV. TARIFFS
Effective January 1, 2004,
the applied tariff rates are as follows:
Apples
45% (WTO concessive rate)
Pears 45% (General
tariff)
Cherries 24%
(WTO concessive rate)
V. NON-TARIFF BARRIERS
A. Labeling requirements:
All imported food
products are required to have Korean language labels. For
agricultural products that are packed in a box or container such
as bagged or boxed cherries, Korean language labels should contain
the following inscriptions printed in letters large enough to be
readily legible: product name, producer, packing
date, contents and other items such as storage condition.
The Korean Customs Service now requires Country of Origin marks
on packing containers.
Products on which
Korean labels can be omitted: Agricultural products
which are not put in a container and package and are in the
natural state are exempted from Korean label requirements.
Korea requires that
Country of Origin (COOL) labels be on each apple and pear.
The COOL indication may be an edible ink stamp or a
sticker. Cherries are exempt from this requirement.
B. Licenses and quotas:
An importer must be a
licensed businessman. Once an importer receives a
license to conduct foreign trade business, he is free to import
without requiring any further licensing.
C. Currency Issues:
D. Pest and plant disease restrictions:
Apples and pears from the United States are
not allowed to be imported due to alleged phytosanitary
concerns.
Cherries must be fumigated, according to
requirements outlined by USDA APHIS, accompanied by federal
phytosanitary certificate and inspected on arrival in Korea.
As of May 12, 2003, entry of all varieties of fresh sweet
cherries from specific counties in California, Idaho, Oregon and
Washington is approved.
Cherries are permitted from the following
states and counties in the Northwest: Idaho - Ada, Canyon,
Gem, Payette, Twin Falls and Washington; Oregon - Umatilla and
Wasco; and Washington - Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas,
Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Walla Walla and
Yakima. Fumigation requirements may be obtained from state
departments of agriculture commodity inspection representatives
in each state.
E. Solid Wood Packing Material (SWPM)
Regulations:
VI. SUBSIDIES
None.
VII. OTHER RESOURCE LINKS:
Governmental:
VII. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
U.S. apple and pear imports are prohibited due
to alleged phytosanitary concerns such as codling moth and fire
blight. However, the key reason for exclusion of apple and pear
imports is protection of domestic production.
105 South 18th Street, Suite 105
Yakima, Washington 98901, USA
Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615
E-mail
general@nwhort.org
|
