SEACHING｜Bridging Korea and the global seafood market.

Tag: Shrimp

  • Seafood Importers in Korea: Who They Are and How the Market Is Structured

    Seafood Importers in Korea: Who They Are and How the Market Is Structured

    Data as of October 15, 2026: SEACHING company estimates and Korea Customs Service import values for October 2025–September 2026 (October 2024–September 2026 where noted). Regulations checked October 14, 2026.

    Seafood importers in Korea fall into four groups: processors, trading and distribution houses, large retail and food-service groups, and offer agents. How many there are depends on the product. SEACHING estimates that 35 companies imported fresh Atlantic salmon into Korea from October 2025 to September 2026, against 422 for frozen squid.

    Key takeaways

    • SEACHING estimates that 422 Korean companies imported frozen squid (HS 0307.43.2090) and 35 imported fresh Atlantic salmon (HS 0302.14.0000) from October 2025 to September 2026.
    • From October 2025 to September 2026, the top 10 importers held 82.1% of Korea’s fresh Atlantic salmon import records but only 20.0% of its frozen squid records (SEACHING estimates; share of records, not value).
    • SEACHING estimates that 150 companies imported frozen mackerel into Korea from October 2024 to September 2026, but only 75 from October 2025 to September 2026.
    • LINKSUP, a Busan seafood importer, estimates that only about 15% of Korean seafood importers buy directly from foreign suppliers (not an official statistic).

    Who imports seafood into Korea?

    Definition: seafood importer in Korea
    A seafood importer in Korea is the company that files the import declaration with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), also called the importer of record. As of October 2026, it must be registered with MFDS as an importer-seller and is legally responsible for the safety and quality of the food. It may resell to wholesalers, processors or retailers, or import on behalf of another buyer.

    Not all four types import in their own name.

    TypeWhat they buyHow they importWhat it means for you
    Processors and manufacturersRaw material for further processingSome import directly; others buy large lots from importersYour product is their input, so send the specification sheet with the offer
    Trading and distribution housesFrozen and fresh product, resold to wholesalers, markets, processors and retail chainsIn their own name; many keep stock in their own cold storageThey file the import declaration, so they appear in import data
    Large retail and food-service groupsProcessed, home meal replacement (HMR) and food-service productsThrough importers that hold supply contracts with them; the USDA also counts large distributors among importersReach them through the importers that supply them
    Offer agents (opeosang)Whatever their buyers ask forPass offers to buyers; import in their own name only if registered with MFDSMany Korean buyers purchase through introductions, which is the agent’s role

    Source: USDA FAS GAIN KS2025-0046 (November 25, 2025); Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Articles 15 and 20 (law base date September 15, 2026); LINKSUP written answers, October 13, 2026.

    The table describes roles, not shares.

    How many seafood importers are there in Korea?

    Korea’s public import statistics are published by product and country, not by company. SEACHING, a Korea seafood trade data platform operated by LINKSUP, Inc. in Busan, estimates importers from import declaration data. Its figures for six products show two market shapes.

    Product (HS code)Estimated importers, Oct 2025–Sep 2026Top 10 importers’ share of import recordsMain origins, by number of importers buying from themKorea’s imports, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (US$ million)
    Fresh or chilled salmon fillets (0304.41.0000)2194.3%Norway 21, Chile 6171.3
    Fresh or chilled Atlantic salmon (0302.14.0000)3582.1%Norway 34, Chile 7276.4
    Frozen mackerel (0303.54.0000)7561.3%Norway 42, China 21148.0
    Frozen shrimp meat (0306.17.1090)19533.3%Vietnam 134, China 69415.7
    Frozen webfoot octopus (0307.52.3000)23128.7%Vietnam 192, Thailand 46193.0
    Frozen squid, other (0307.43.2090)42220.0%China 216, Peru 146329.7

    Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service and MFDS data, query of October 15, 2026. Counts and shares are estimates for October 2025–September 2026; shares count import records, not value. An importer can buy from several origins.

    Bar chart of SEACHING's estimated Korean importers, October 2025–September 2026, with the top 10's share of import records: fresh salmon fillets 21 (94.3%), fresh Atlantic salmon 35 (82.1%), frozen mackerel 75 (61.3%), frozen peeled shrimp 195 (33.3%), frozen webfoot octopus 231 (28.7%), frozen squid 422 (20.0%)

    Fresh salmon is a short list. SEACHING estimates 35 importers of fresh Atlantic salmon from October 2025 to September 2026, and the top 5 held 52.9% of import records. The median importer filed 39 import records in that period, and 34 of the 35 bought from Norway. That points to a small group of frequent buyers already supplied from Norway.

    Frozen squid is a crowd. SEACHING estimates 422 importers of frozen squid, and the top 10 held only 20.0% of records. The median importer filed 5 records, and 93 importers filed just one. About a fifth are one-time buyers, so sort out the regular importers first.

    Count the importers who already buy your origin. Of the 195 estimated importers of frozen shrimp meat, 134 bought from Vietnam and 22 from India. An Indian exporter should start with those 22.

    Check whether a company still imports. SEACHING estimates 150 importers of frozen mackerel from October 2024 to September 2026 but 75 from October 2025 to September 2026. Half the companies in the two-year window had no import record in the latest 12 months.

    Why do so few Korean companies import directly?

    LINKSUP estimates that only about 15% of Korean seafood importers buy directly from foreign suppliers. LINKSUP also estimates that 85–90% of Korea’s seafood imports pass through offer agents. Neither is an official statistic. According to LINKSUP, the companies that do import directly are mostly seafood manufacturers, processors and distributors, or trading and distribution houses. The causes are covered in why most of Korea’s seafood imports go through agents, and the route after customs in how imported seafood is distributed in Korea.

    Common misconceptions about Korean seafood importers

    “Companies on importer directory sites are active importers.” A directory entry shows that a company exists, not that it imported your product this year. The mackerel figures show how fast that changes.

    “I should email the big retailers first.” Many Korean importers hold supply contracts with large retail chains, according to the USDA. Your first customer is more likely that importer.

    “An offer agent is a customs broker.” No. A customs broker (gwansesa) files paperwork for the importer; an offer agent finds buyers and supply. The registered importer carries legal responsibility.

    Which type of importer should you contact first?

    Match the type to how your product is sold in Korea.

    What you sellContact firstWhy
    Frozen staples (squid, shrimp meat, octopus)Trading houses and processors that already import your product from your origin195–422 estimated importers; the top 10 hold 20.0–33.3% of records
    Fresh or chilled salmonThe small group of established importers21–35 estimated importers; the top 10 hold 82.1–94.3% of records
    Raw material for further processingProcessors that import directly, or the importer that supplies themImporters sell large lots directly to processors (USDA)
    Processed or HMR productsImporters that supply retail chains and food serviceImporters hold supply contracts with retail chains (USDA)
    No Korean contacts yetAn offer agentMany Korean buyers purchase through introductions (LINKSUP)

    Source: SEACHING estimates, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (share of records); USDA; LINKSUP.

    Korean importers “highly value face-to-face meetings when building new business partnerships,” and food shows are among the best places to meet them, according to the USDA. The U.S. Commercial Service notes that cold calls are generally not accepted in Korea. See how to meet Korean buyers at the Busan seafood expo and why cold emails to Korean buyers go unanswered. Before a first order, read what Korean importers check before placing a first order and how Korean buyers describe the product they want.

    Find the importers of your product

    Start with your HS code and origin, then keep the companies that import often and recently. The method is in how to find seafood buyers in Korea using import data and how to verify a Korean seafood importer. For paperwork, see the guide to exporting seafood to Korea; for gaps in other databases, see why bill-of-lading databases show so few Korean importers.

    On SEACHING, a product page’s Companies tab lists estimated importers, their import records and origins, with an origin filter. Below is frozen squid for October 2025–September 2026, with names blurred.

    SEACHING Companies tab for Korea's frozen squid imports (HS 0307432090), October 2025–September 2026, listing estimated importers and their origins, with company names blurred

    You can open the same view for frozen squid imports by origin, Korean importers of frozen shrimp meat or fresh Atlantic salmon 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

    Is there an official list of seafood importers in Korea?

    No. Korea’s public import statistics, such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries monthly file built from Korea Customs Service data, give volume and value by product and country, not by company.

    Can I sell seafood directly to a Korean retailer without an importer?

    Not without a registered importer. As of October 2026, the import declaration for food sold in Korea must be filed by a business registered with MFDS as an importer-seller. A retailer can buy from you only if it holds that registration or uses an importer that does.

    Does my plant need to be registered before a Korean importer can buy from me?

    Yes. As of October 2026, the foreign facility must be registered with MFDS before the import declaration; the importer or the facility operator can apply. Registration lasts two years, and MFDS can refuse a declaration for an unregistered facility. The steps are in MFDS foreign food facility registration for seafood exporters.

    Sources and method

  • Korea Import Inspection for Seafood: Why Shipments Fail

    Korea Import Inspection for Seafood: Why Shipments Fail

    Data as of: MFDS inspection results for calendar 2025; rules checked October 14, 2026.

    Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) checks every seafood import declaration by document review, on-site inspection or laboratory test. In 2025 it ruled 51 unprocessed seafood declarations non-compliant, 0.06% of 87,818. Most failed on bacteria in sashimi-grade frozen fish or veterinary drug residues in farmed species (MFDS Imported Food Inspection Yearbook 2026).

    What “Korean import inspection” means for seafood
    Two separate checks happen at the Korean border. MFDS inspects seafood as food, against Korea’s food safety standards. The National Fishery Products Quality Management Service (NFQS) runs quarantine on live aquatic animals and on raw frozen or chilled shrimp, abalone and oysters, looking for aquatic animal diseases.

    Key takeaways

    • MFDS ruled 51 of Korea’s 87,818 unprocessed seafood import declarations non-compliant in 2025, a rate of 0.06% (MFDS Imported Food Inspection Yearbook 2026).
    • Microbial standards caused 33 of Korea’s 51 seafood import failures in 2025, all on frozen seafood declared for raw consumption (MFDS, 2025 data).
    • Veterinary drug residues caused 19 of Korea’s 45 seafood import failures in 2024, led by ethoxyquin (MFDS Yearbook 2025).
    • Heavy metals caused no failures of unprocessed seafood at Korean import inspection in 2024 or 2025 (MFDS yearbooks).

    How does Korean import inspection work for seafood?

    The Korean importer files an import declaration, and MFDS assigns one of four inspection types set in Annex 9 of the Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control (as amended June 9, 2023). The exporter’s job is to send a product, documents and label that will pass.

    Inspection typeWhat MFDS checksShare of Korea’s seafood declarations, 2025
    Document reviewThe declaration and supporting papers39.7%
    On-site inspectionCondition, smell, color, labeling, packaging and past test history; includes a sensory check43.0%
    Laboratory (precise) inspectionPhysical, chemical and microbiological tests13.3%
    Random samplingLab tests under the MFDS sampling plan4.0%

    Source: MFDS Imported Food Inspection Yearbook 2026, Table 5 (unprocessed seafood, 2025, by number of declarations).

    Bar chart of Korea's 87,818 unprocessed seafood import declarations in 2025 by inspection type: 43.0% on-site inspection, 39.7% document review, 13.3% laboratory inspection and 4.0% random sampling. Source: MFDS Yearbook 2026

    Two rules matter most for a new exporter. MFDS sends a product to laboratory inspection the first time it is declared, and later shipments of the same product from the same company can clear on document review. Your plant must also be registered with MFDS as a foreign food facility before the declaration is filed, and the registration lasts two years (how to register).

    NFQS quarantine applies to live aquatic animals and to frozen or chilled abalone, oysters and shrimp that have not been heat-treated or cut. These shipments need an original quarantine certificate from your government.

    Why do seafood shipments fail Korean import inspection?

    In 2025 most failures came from bacteria in sashimi-grade fish; in 2024, from drug residues in farmed fish. The leading cause changes from year to year, so plan for both.

    Reason for non-compliance (unprocessed seafood)20242025
    Microbial standards1033
    Veterinary drug residues198
    Spoilage, poor packaging, loss of freshness25
    Other general food standards (e.g., toxins, histamine)113
    Foreign matter32
    Heavy metals00
    Total4551

    Source: MFDS Imported Food Inspection Yearbooks 2025 and 2026, Table 49.

    Grouped bar chart of Korea's unprocessed seafood import failures by reason, 2024 vs 2025: microbial 10 to 33, veterinary drug residues 19 to 8, other general standards 11 to 3, heavy metals 0 in both years. Source: MFDS yearbooks

    Microbes in raw-consumption seafood. In 2025 Listeria monocytogenes failed 23 tests, Vibrio cholerae 4 and Salmonella 3. All 33 microbial test failures were on frozen seafood declared for raw consumption, led by sashimi-grade swordfish fillets (7 cases), bluefin tuna fillets (6) and bigeye tuna fillets (5).

    Drug residues in farmed species. Ethoxyquin, an antioxidant used in fish feed, failed 17 tests in 2024. In 2025 residues of ethoxyquin, nitrofurans, sulfadiazine, ofloxacin, trimethoprim and florfenicol were found in eel, snakehead, catfish, yellow croaker and whiteleg shrimp meat. Since January 1, 2024, Korea has applied a Positive List System (PLS) to fish: a drug with no Korean residue limit is held to 0.01 mg/kg. MFDS plans to extend it to crustaceans.

    Natural toxins. Paralytic shellfish poison failed 7 tests in 2024, and histamine failed in dried anchovy and dried yellowfin tuna in 2025.

    By origin, 2025 failures came most often from Taiwan (10 cases), China (9), Vietnam (7) and Japan (5); in 2024 China (21) and Japan (11) led. Processed seafood is counted separately: “other processed fishery products” had 47 failures in 2025, mostly on total bacterial count (18 tests) and metallic foreign matter (9).

    What should exporters check before shipping?

    Match your pre-shipment checks to the reasons above.

    What fails in KoreaWhat to do before shipment
    Listeria, Vibrio, Salmonella in fish for raw consumptionAgree with the buyer whether the product will be declared for raw consumption. Test each lot for these pathogens. Review hygiene in thawing, cutting and packing.
    Veterinary drug residues in farmed fish and shrimpKeep treatment and withdrawal records per pond or cage. Ask your feed supplier about ethoxyquin. Test against Korean limits, and remember the 0.01 mg/kg default for fish.
    Spoilage and damaged packagingKeep cold-chain temperature logs from plant to port. Use cartons that survive reefer transit.
    Toxins and histamineSend shellfish toxin results with bivalves. Test histamine in tuna, mackerel and dried anchovy.
    Foreign matter in processed productsRun metal detection on the final pack.
    Unregistered or expired facilityCheck your MFDS foreign facility registration and its expiry date.
    Labeling problems found on siteAgree with the importer who applies the Korean label and what it says (labeling rules).
    No quarantine certificate (live, raw frozen or chilled shrimp, abalone, oysters)Get the original government quarantine certificate before loading.

    Under Annex 9, MFDS can accept a report from an overseas laboratory it has designated in place of its own lab test, or narrow the test items. Ask your importer to confirm the lab is on the MFDS list before you pay for testing.

    What is an MFDS inspection order, and is my product on it?

    An inspection order requires the importer to have a specific product tested, at a designated or accredited overseas laboratory, before filing the import declaration. MFDS issues one when a product has a failure history or a known hazard.

    ProductOriginTestPeriod
    Bluefin tuna for raw consumptionJapan (1 manufacturer)SalmonellaMar 31, 2021 – Mar 30, 2027
    Frozen yellow croaker (buse)ChinaEthoxyquinDec 30, 2024 – Dec 29, 2026
    Processed seafood with 30% or more shrimpVietnam (4 manufacturers)DoxycyclineJun 30, 2025 – Jun 29, 2027

    Source: MFDS Imported Food Information Maru, inspection order list, checked October 14, 2026.

    MFDS can lift an order early after 300 or more tests with no violation, or after two years with no violation. Check the MFDS inspection order page before you quote, because the list changes.

    What happens after a shipment fails?

    A shipment that fails MFDS inspection must be returned to the exporting country, sent to a third country, converted to animal feed with approval, or destroyed. A shipment that fails NFQS quarantine is returned or destroyed.

    The cost does not end with one container. Under Annex 9 (2023 text), a product with a failure record goes back to laboratory inspection on later imports, up to five times in total. MFDS proposed in April 2026 to replace this with up to 20 times depending on risk, and Korean media reported the amendment as promulgated on September 30, 2026. Ask your importer which count applies when you ship.

    A failure record also follows you to the buyer. Korean importers check a supplier’s reputation before a first order (what importers check).

    Common misconceptions

    “Heavy metals are the main risk.” Heavy metals caused no failures of unprocessed seafood in 2024 or 2025. Microbes and drug residues caused most.

    “Once my product passes, it is cleared for good.” One later failure sends the product back to repeated lab tests, and a pattern can lead to an inspection order.

    “MFDS inspection and NFQS quarantine are the same check.” They are separate. Raw frozen shrimp goes through both.

    “A 0.06% failure rate means my product is safe.” Failures cluster. Three products, sashimi-grade frozen swordfish, bluefin and bigeye tuna fillets, made up 18 of the 51 failures in 2025.

    Check what Korea already buys in your category

    Inspection risk differs by product and origin, so look at your own category before you quote. SEACHING, a Korea seafood trade data platform operated by LINKSUP, Inc. in Busan, shows Korea’s imports of frozen bluefin tuna fillets, frozen shrimp meat import data, and origin pages such as Vietnam’s seafood trade with Korea and China’s seafood trade with Korea (free sign-up). For the full export sequence, start with how to export seafood to Korea; for one species in depth, see Korea’s shrimp imports.

    Paperwork gets you through customs; data gets you the order. Check which Korean importers already buy your product category and at what price range. Start with SEACHING’s product data (free sign-up)

    FAQ

    How long does Korean import inspection take for seafood?

    NFQS lists 2 days for quarantine document checks, 3 days for clinical checks and 15 days for laboratory quarantine tests, as of October 2026. MFDS does not publish an equivalent processing-time table on its English pages. Ask your importer or customs broker for current timing at the port of entry.

    Can a lab report from my country replace the Korean test?

    Yes, if the laboratory is one MFDS has designated as an overseas testing institution. MFDS can then replace its lab test with the report or reduce the test items, under Annex 9 of the Enforcement Rule (as amended June 9, 2023). A report from a non-designated lab does not count.

    Who pays when a seafood shipment fails in Korea?

    Korean law sets what happens to the goods, not who pays. Return freight, third-country sale or destruction costs follow your sales contract. Write the allocation into the contract before the first shipment.

    Sources and method

    • Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), 2026 Imported Food Inspection Yearbook (2025 results), published June 30, 2026, Tables 4, 5, 11, 42, 44, 45, 49 and 54
    • MFDS, 2025 Imported Food Inspection Yearbook (2024 results), published July 3, 2025, Table 49 and failed test items
    • Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Annex 9 (as amended June 9, 2023)
    • MFDS legislative notice No. 2026-194 (April 20, 2026) on repeat laboratory inspection; promulgation reported September 30, 2026
    • MFDS Imported Food Information Maru, inspection order list, checked October 14, 2026
    • MFDS, import inspection procedure (English), checked October 14, 2026
    • MFDS, card news on the veterinary drug Positive List System, June 2025
    • NFQS, import quarantine guide, checked October 14, 2026
    • Korea Ministry of Government Legislation, Easy Law guide on imported food non-compliance handling, as of September 15, 2026
    • Method: “Unprocessed seafood” is the MFDS product group 수산물 (fresh, chilled, frozen, live and dried fishery products). Processed seafood is counted under processed foods and is reported separately above. Failures are counted per import declaration; one declaration can fail several test items. NFQS quarantine results are not in the MFDS yearbook. Rules can change; confirm with MFDS, NFQS or a licensed Korean customs broker before shipping.