Data as of October 15, 2026: Korea Customs Service import values for January–September 2026 and 2025, and SEACHING company estimates for October 2025–September 2026 (October 2024–September 2026 where noted).
How to find seafood buyers in Korea: start from your product’s 10-digit Korean HS code, not a buyer list, then shortlist the importers that buy it often and from your country. The worked example is frozen peeled shrimp (HS 0306.17.1090), Korea’s largest single seafood import code in Jan–Sep 2026 at US$313.9 million (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data).
Key takeaways
- Frozen peeled shrimp (HS 0306.17.1090) was Korea’s largest single seafood import code in Jan–Sep 2026, at US$313.9 million or 7.1% of the total, according to SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data.
- Vietnam (42.4%) and China (40.7%) supplied most of Korea’s frozen peeled shrimp imports by value in Jan–Sep 2026; India, Peru, Thailand and Argentina each held 2.8–5.1% (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data).
- SEACHING estimates that 195 Korean companies imported frozen peeled shrimp from October 2025 to September 2026, and that 22 of them bought from India.
- Of 229 estimated Korean importers of frozen peeled shrimp in October 2024–September 2026, 34 had no import record in October 2025–September 2026 (SEACHING estimates).
What will you have at the end of this guide?
A shortlist of 5–10 Korean importers that already buy your product, with a reason to contact each one. You need a product description, its 6-digit HS code and a free account on SEACHING, a Korea seafood trade data platform operated by LINKSUP, Inc. in Busan.
Korea’s public import statistics report products and countries, not companies, so the method starts from the product code.
Step 1: Which 10-digit Korean HS code is your product?
Your 6-digit HS code is not enough. The Harmonized System uses six-digit codes, and more than 200 countries and economies use it as the basis for their customs tariffs, according to the World Customs Organization. Korea’s tariff schedule and trade statistics add four national digits, making a 10-digit code called HSK.
Subheading 0306.17 (other frozen shrimp and prawns) splits into five Korean codes with very different import values.
| Korean HS code (HSK) | Product | Korea’s imports, Jan–Sep 2026 (US$ million) |
|---|---|---|
| 0306.17.1090 | Frozen peeled shrimp and prawns, not smoked | 313.9 |
| 0306.17.9091 | Frozen whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) | 66.8 |
| 0306.17.9099 | Other frozen shrimp and prawns, not smoked | 34.4 |
| 0306.17.1010 and 0306.17.9010 | Smoked | less than 0.01 |
Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data, Jan–Sep 2026.
Peeled shrimp took 75.6% of Korea’s 0306.17 imports in Jan–Sep 2026. Shell-on whiteleg and peeled shrimp sit in different codes with different origins. If unsure which fits, read how Korean buyers describe the product they want.
On SEACHING, each product page shows its 10-digit code, and the Related menu lists the other codes at the same level.
Step 2: Does Korea already buy it, and from which origins?
Yes: Korea imported US$313.9 million of frozen peeled shrimp in Jan–Sep 2026, up 4.9% on the same months of 2025, at an average customs value of US$8.08 per kg. The origin table shows who you would compete with.
| Origin | Share of value, Jan–Sep 2026 | Share, Jan–Sep 2025 | Customs value, Jan–Sep 2026 (US$/kg) | Estimated importers buying from this origin, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 42.4% | 47.5% | 8.45 | 134 |
| China | 40.7% | 36.0% | 7.18 | 69 |
| India | 5.1% | 4.7% | 7.23 | 22 |
| Peru | 4.8% | 3.9% | 10.17 | 12 |
| Thailand | 3.7% | 4.9% | 12.96 | 11 |
| Argentina | 2.8% | 1.9% | 15.79 | not listed |
Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data (values and prices); SEACHING estimates (importer counts; an importer can buy from several origins).
Customs value per kg is import value divided by weight, not a market price. The data does not show size or glazing, so compare like with like. From October 2025 to September 2026, Vietnam, China, India, Peru, Thailand and Argentina each shipped frozen peeled shrimp to Korea in every month.
A single-origin page shows that origin’s monthly customs value per kg, with SEACHING’s price model projection as a dashed line.
For the wider picture, see Korea’s shrimp imports by origin.
Step 3: How many Korean companies import it?
SEACHING estimates that 195 Korean companies imported frozen peeled shrimp from October 2025 to September 2026. The top 10 held 33.3% of import records (not value), and the median importer filed 6 records. SEACHING derives these from Korea Customs Service and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) import declarations; they are estimates, not confirmed contracts.
The number varies widely by product; the overview of seafood importers in Korea compares six products.
The product page’s Companies tab lists estimated importers with their number of trades (import records), industry and main origins. Filter chips above the list narrow it to one origin.
Step 4: How do you shortlist importers worth contacting?
Keep the companies that import your product from your origin, often and recently.
| Check | Keep the importer if… | Frozen peeled shrimp, SEACHING estimates |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | It imported from your country in the last 12 months | 22 importers bought from India, 12 from Peru, 11 from Thailand |
| Frequency | It has more records than the median | Median importer: 6 records in 12 months |
| Recency | It still imports | 34 of 229 importers in the 24-month window had no record in the latest 12 months |
| One-off buyers | Treat a single record as a test, not a customer | 24 of 195 importers filed one record |
| Product fit | It imports your species and form | The company page lists its top product groups; confirm the form (peeled, whole, cooked) when you write |
Source: SEACHING estimates, October 2025–September 2026 (12 months) and October 2024–September 2026 (24 months). Records count import declarations, not value.
An Indian exporter would start with the 22 importers that already buy Indian product, rank them by records and recency, and open each company’s page. The Overview shows the company’s main origin and product, its last trade, its top product groups and its distribution by origin country.
From LINKSUP’s trading desk
LINKSUP estimates that only about 15% of Korean seafood importers buy directly from foreign suppliers; this is not an official statistic. When an importer considers a new supplier, price matters most. Importers also check quality certification such as HACCP or FSSC 22000, supply history (including supply to major buyers) and reputation.
So a company that buys your origin through an agent is still a lead; see why most Korean seafood imports go through agents. Before you sign a contract, run the checks in how to verify a Korean seafood importer.
Step 5: How should you make first contact?
Meet in person where you can: Korean importers value face-to-face meetings with new partners, according to USDA (August 2025). The Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo (BISFE) runs November 4–6, 2026 at BEXCO; see how to meet Korean buyers at the Busan seafood expo.
If you write first, name the 10-digit HSK, your origin, specification and certification, and refer to what the company already imports. Why Korean buyers ignore cold emails explains the usual failures, and what Korean seafood importers look for covers the buyer’s checklist.
Know who does what. As of October 2026, the Korean importer, registered with MFDS as an importer-seller, files the import declaration and is responsible for the food’s safety and quality. Your plant must be registered with MFDS before the declaration, by you or the importer. See the guide to exporting seafood to Korea, and confirm current rules with a licensed customs broker or MFDS.
What can go wrong when you read importer data?
Treating estimates as facts. Company counts and records are SEACHING estimates. Use them to rank leads, not to quote a buyer’s volume to them.
Confusing the importer of record with the end buyer. The company in the data filed the import declaration. It may resell the product or import for another buyer; the overview of seafood importers in Korea explains the types.
Reading one month as a trend. Korea’s frozen peeled shrimp imports by weight peak in September and are lowest in February and March, averaged over October 2023–September 2026 (SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service data). Judge a company on 12 months of records.
Run the same search for your product
The same steps work for any species. Start with frozen peeled shrimp import data, frozen whiteleg shrimp import data or other frozen shrimp import data (free sign-up).
SEACHING estimates which Korean companies import a given product and from where, based on customs and MFDS import declaration data. Company-level figures are statistical estimates, not confirmed contracts. Find importers of your product (free sign-up)
FAQ
Can I see the names of Korean seafood importers?
Not in Korea’s public statistics, which report imports by product and country only. SEACHING lists estimated importers of each product by company after a free sign-up.
How often is Korean seafood import data updated?
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries publishes a monthly file of Korea’s seafood imports built from Korea Customs Service data. SEACHING updates customs statistics monthly and MFDS import declaration data daily.
What if no Korean company imports my exact product yet?
Check the other 10-digit codes under the same 6-digit subheading. In Jan–Sep 2026, Korea imported less than US$100 of smoked frozen shrimp under 0306.17, but US$66.8 million of frozen whiteleg shrimp. Importers of a close product are the first people to ask.
Sources and method
- SEACHING product data, HS 0306.17.1090 and other 0306.17 codes, imports, all origins and by origin, January–September 2026 and 2025, built on Korea Customs Service data, query of October 15, 2026. Korea’s seafood imports here means HS chapter 03 plus prepared fish and crustaceans (HS 1603–1605); seaweed and salt are excluded. Total for Jan–Sep 2026: US$4,415.6 million. Customs value per kg = import value ÷ weight.
- SEACHING company estimates for HS 0306.17.1090, October 2025–September 2026 and October 2024–September 2026, query of October 15, 2026. Counts are estimates; concentration is the share of import records, not value. Argentina did not appear in the company data’s origin list for this period.
- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, seafood imports and exports by country (data.go.kr), file through July 2026, used as a cross-check, retrieved October 14, 2026
- World Customs Organization, What is the Harmonized System (HS)?, checked October 15, 2026
- Korea Customs Service, tariff schedule by HSK code, 2026 (data.go.kr), checked October 15, 2026
- Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Articles 15 and 20, via Easy Law, Ministry of Government Legislation, law base date September 15, 2026, checked October 14, 2026
- Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Article 5, Korean Law Information Center, version in force October 8, 2026, checked October 14, 2026
- USDA FAS GAIN KS2025-0023, Exporter Guide Annual, August 5, 2025
- Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo, visitor information, checked October 14, 2026
- LINKSUP estimates and statements: written answers from LINKSUP, Inc., October 13, 2026. The 15% figure is a LINKSUP estimate, not an official statistic.