Data as of: Korea’s imports by 10-digit HS code and origin, January to September 2026, queried October 15, 2026.
Korea imports frozen hairtail (ribbonfish) mainly from Oman, which supplied 46.3% of the US$29.8 million Korea imported in Jan–Sep 2026, ahead of South Africa and Senegal, according to SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data. Frozen small and large yellow croaker came only from China. West African croaker clears Korean customs as mineo, a separate code.
The number that matters: US$41.2 million
Korea’s frozen mineo croaker imports (HS 0303.89-9091), Jan–Sep 2026, up 18.8% on a year earlier; 84.3% came from West Africa. Korea’s frozen yellow croaker imports, almost all from China, fell 17.1% to US$42.9 million.The finding: in Korea’s customs data, West African croaker sits under mineo, not yellow croaker, and that code is now almost as large.
Key takeaways
- Oman supplied 46.3% of Korea’s frozen hairtail imports in Jan–Sep 2026, up from 27.4% a year earlier (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data).
- China supplied 100% of Korea’s frozen small and large yellow croaker imports in Jan–Sep 2025 and Jan–Sep 2026 (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data).
- Guinea supplied 48.3% of Korea’s frozen mineo croaker imports in Jan–Sep 2026 at US$5.71 per kg; India’s cleared at US$1.81 (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data).
Where does Korea import hairtail (ribbonfish) from?
Oman leads, and its lead widened in 2026. Korea’s frozen hairtail imports (HS 0303.89-2000) fell 14.1% to US$29.8 million and 7,956 tonnes in Jan–Sep 2026. Senegal dropped from 26.6% of the code a year earlier to 11.2%.
| Origin | US$ million | Share | Tonnes | US$/kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oman | 13.80 | 46.3% | 3,394 | 4.07 |
| South Africa | 4.87 | 16.4% | 1,839 | 2.65 |
| Senegal | 3.34 | 11.2% | 992 | 3.36 |
| Japan | 1.77 | 5.9% | 207 | 8.52 |
| China | 1.70 | 5.7% | 277 | 6.16 |
| Morocco | 0.96 | 3.2% | 277 | 3.46 |
| All origins | 29.80 | 100% | 7,956 | 3.75 |
Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data, frozen hairtail (HS 0303.89-2000), Jan–Sep 2026.
Japanese hairtail cleared at more than three times the South African value per kg. Compare your offer with your own origin’s line, not the average (how to use import price benchmarks). Fresh hairtail (HS 0302.89-2000) was only US$1.06 million in Jan–Sep 2026, 96.8% from Japan.
Korean fisheries landed 44,480 tonnes of hairtail in 2025, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF). Korea imported 13,391 tonnes that year, about 30% of the domestic catch (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data).
Yellow croaker or mineo: which croaker is yours?
Korean customs splits “croaker” by species. Three frozen codes sit under jogi (yellow croaker); a separate code, 0303.89-9091, is “Croakers” in English and mineo in Korean.
| Korean HS code (HSK) | Customs name | Korean name | Main origin, Jan–Sep 2026 | US$ million | US$/kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0303.89-5010 | Small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) | jogi | China 100% | 8.51 | 4.32 |
| 0303.89-5020 | Large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) | jogi | China 100% | 34.14 | 5.94 |
| 0303.89-5090 | Other croakers | jogi | Small volumes | 0.20 | – |
| 0303.89-9091 | Croakers | mineo | Guinea 48.3% | 41.25 | 4.34 |
| 0301.99-9095 | Croakers, live | mineo | China 100% | 20.28 | 5.82 |
Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data, Jan–Sep 2026; names as listed for each HSK code.
In the data, frozen croaker from West Africa, India, Brazil and Mexico clears as mineo, not yellow croaker. The exception is small: in Jan–Sep 2025, Guinea and The Gambia shipped about 95% of the “other croakers” code, worth US$1.03 million. The importer’s customs broker declares the code, so agree on it before you quote.
Under Korea’s Labeling Standards for Food, fish of the croaker family (Sciaenidae) must carry the name listed in Korea’s Food Code, while other fish may use a common market name. The guide to how Korean buyers describe seafood products covers the rest of the offer.
Who supplies Korea’s frozen croaker, and at what price?
Yellow croaker comes from China; mineo mostly from West Africa. Korea’s frozen mineo imports rose 18.8% to US$41.2 million in Jan–Sep 2026, with 84.3% from seven West African origins. Small yellow croaker fell 43.3% to US$8.51 million.
| Origin | US$ million | Share | Tonnes | US$/kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea | 19.91 | 48.3% | 3,485 | 5.71 |
| Sierra Leone | 5.74 | 13.9% | 1,108 | 5.18 |
| The Gambia | 5.07 | 12.3% | 908 | 5.59 |
| Senegal | 3.86 | 9.4% | 746 | 5.17 |
| India | 2.29 | 5.6% | 1,267 | 1.81 |
| Brazil | 1.49 | 3.6% | 329 | 4.53 |
| Mexico | 1.30 | 3.2% | 1,093 | 1.19 |
Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data, frozen croakers (HS 0303.89-9091), Jan–Sep 2026.
West African mineo cleared at US$5.17 to US$5.71 per kg; Indian and Mexican below US$2. The code does not show species or size.
For some origins one code is almost the whole trade: in Jan–Sep 2026, frozen mineo was 90% of Korea’s seafood imports from Guinea, and frozen hairtail 88% of those from Oman. Live mineo came only from China; the China export guide covers it.
What tariff do hairtail and croaker pay in Korea?
Oman, South Africa and the West African origins pay Korea’s basic 10% on frozen hairtail and frozen mineo, as of October 2026, because none has a free trade agreement in force with Korea.
| Product (HSK) | Basic rate | China FTA | US, Canada, Chile | EU, Peru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen hairtail (0303.89-2000) | 10% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Fresh hairtail (0302.89-2000) | 20% | 20% | 0% | 0% |
| Frozen yellow croaker (0303.89-5010/5020) | 10% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Frozen mineo (0303.89-9091) | 10% | 43% listed, 10% applies | 0% | 57% and 53% listed, 10% applies |
Source: Korea Customs Service, 2026 tariff schedule (data.go.kr), checked October 15, 2026; EU column valid to June 30, 2026 in the file.
Where an FTA column lists 40% to 57% for frozen mineo, Korean law applies the lower basic rate. The 2026 file has no least-developed-country preference row for frozen mineo or frozen hairtail. Check your code in UNIPASS and confirm with a licensed customs broker; the guide to Korea’s seafood import duties explains each rate.
What should your offer say, and what does the importer handle?
Give the trade name, the scientific name if known and the Korean code you expect, for example “frozen croaker, mineo, HSK 0303.89-9091″ or “hairtail (ribbonfish, cutlassfish), HSK 0303.89-2000”. On timing, the Korea seafood demand calendar shows frozen hairtail imports rose before Chuseok in 2024 and 2025, but not in 2026.
After customs, two Korean rules apply, as of October 2026. Frozen hairtail joined Korea’s imported seafood distribution history (traceability) list on June 29, 2026; frozen yellow croaker was already on it. Importers and distributors report each transfer within five days to the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service (NFQS). Restaurants must show the origin of hairtail and both yellow croakers.
How these figures were compiled
The figures come from SEACHING, a Korea seafood trade data platform operated by LINKSUP, Inc. in Busan, built on Korea Customs Service import data by 10-digit HS code and origin. Customs value per kg is declared value divided by net weight, not a market price. With live and dried codes, the ranking of Korea’s top seafood imports puts mineo at US$61.5 million and yellow croaker at US$43.0 million, Jan–Sep 2026.
SEACHING’s By Country table for frozen hairtail lists each origin’s value, unit price, volume and trend for October 2025 to September 2026.
Check your code before you quote
Open frozen hairtail import data on SEACHING (free sign-up), frozen croaker (mineo) imports by origin (free sign-up), frozen large yellow croaker imports (free sign-up) or Oman’s seafood trade with Korea (free sign-up).
Before you quote hairtail or croaker to a Korean buyer, check which code your fish clears under and what Korea paid per kg from your origin. SEACHING shows Korea’s seafood imports by 10-digit HS code and month, built on Korea Customs Service data. Look up your product on SEACHING (free sign-up)
FAQ
Can West African countries without a sanitary arrangement export fish to Korea?
Yes. Guinea, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Senegal shipped frozen croaker to Korea in Jan–Sep 2026, though none is on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) list of 11 seafood sanitary-arrangement countries (October 2024 guide). The foreign plant must be registered with MFDS before the import declaration; see the MFDS facility registration guide.
Sources and method
- SEACHING, Korea’s seafood imports by 10-digit HS code and origin, Korea Customs Service data, January 2025 to September 2026, queried October 15, 2026
- Korea Customs Service, tariff schedule by HS code (2026), Public Data Portal, file registered February 11, 2026, checked October 15, 2026
- Korea Customs Service FTA portal, FTAs in force, checked October 14, 2026
- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 2025 coastal and offshore fisheries production, February 26, 2026
- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, imported seafood traceability expansion, June 7, 2026; Herald Economy report, June 6, 2026
- NFQS, imported seafood traceability and restaurant origin labeling, checked October 14, 2026
- MFDS, Labeling Standards for Food (Notice 2026-37), checked October 14, 2026
- MFDS, guide to foreign food facility registration, October 2024 edition, checked October 14, 2026
- Codes: frozen hairtail 0303.89-2000; fresh hairtail 0302.89-2000; frozen yellow croaker 0303.89-5010, 5020 and 5090; frozen croakers (mineo) 0303.89-9091; live croakers 0301.99-9095. Dried and salted croaker and hairtail codes were under US$0.2 million each and are left out.
- Method: Jan–Sep 2026 compared with Jan–Sep 2025, import value in US dollars and net weight. “West Africa” here means Guinea, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Liberia. Origin rows cover origins with at least US$100,000 of imports of that code in the 12 months to September 2026.