Onion imports in South Korea approach 40,000 tons in four months; 10 times higher compared to the same period last year

Fresh Onion

Vegetables

South Korea

Published May 23, 2023

Tridge summary

It was found that fresh onion imports from January to April of this year increased more than 10 times compared to last year. It is interpreted as a result of the government's low tariff quota (TRQ) imports and the strong increase in the price of imported onions, resulting in a significant increase in the amount of private imports imported after paying general tariffs. In particular, as the onion harvest of mid-late maturity has deteriorated recently, some predict that this year's fresh onion imports will be comparable to 2017, when fresh onion imports hit a record high.

Original content

According to the Korea Customs Service, fresh onion imports (including peeled onions) from January to April of this year were 37,143 tons. This is a figure that has increased more than 10 times from the same period last year (3,554 tons). The government's TRQ import policy had a major impact on the rapid increase in fresh onion imports. The government extended the import deadline for the remaining 20,000 tons of the onion TRQ import plan to February this year, and as a result, it is understood that the import volume with a low tariff (10%) has increased significantly. Moreover, it is estimated that more than 10,000 tons of Chinese onions were imported with a general tariff (135%) while domestic onions, whose quality has deteriorated due to the unreasonable early shipment policy, were shipped. Since the end of March, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been carrying out a shipment incentive project for early-ripening onions from Jeju, and has moved the shipment ...

Source: Nongmin