Kimchi Imports Hit All-Time High… Processing Plants on the Verge of Collapse

Last year, kimchi imports surpassed 300,000 tons again since 2019, breaking the record. As the trade imbalance of kimchi worsens, concerns are being raised about the collapse of the production base. According to trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service, kimchi imports last year were tallied at 311,570 tons. This is the largest amount since 2007, when imports were first reported in the statistics. It is 5,520 tons more than 2019 (306,050 tons), when the annual 300,000-ton barrier was first broken. Last year's imports increased by 8.7% compared to 2023 (286,545 tons) and by 12.5% compared to the average imports over the past five years (277,055 tons). The government previously announced on the 12th that last year's kimchi exports were the largest ever. Kimchi exports in 2024 are expected to be 47,053 tons. This is 6.6 times more imports. Most of the imports are from China. The reason for the rapid increase in kimchi imports is the rise in the price of cabbage, the raw ...