The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation has recently held an online briefing with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on non-tariff barriers for Korean food exports to Southeast Asia. This briefing is attended by food exporters as well as industry officials.
The briefing was organized to help Korean exporters proactively respond to regulatory changes in Indonesia and Vietnam, two major export markets for Korean food products in Southeast Asia. The Korea Food Research Institute and local experts from Indonesia and Vietnam also participated in the session, which drew about 200 attendees.
The Korea Food Research Institute covered procedures and precautions for obtaining halal certification, while an Indonesian expert organization discussed developments in mandatory halal certification and Indonesian National Standards (SNI) requirements. A Vietnamese expert organization provided updates on revisions to the country’s food safety laws and guidance for exporters.
The Indonesia session covered trends in non-tariff barriers, mandatory halal certification and SNI requirements, along with procedures for obtaining certification. Participants were advised to check product-specific requirements, including food registration and quarantine procedures, before export and ensure consistency between product information and documents submitted by local importers.
The Vietnam session focused on non-tariff barriers and revisions to the country’s food safety laws. Speakers emphasized the need for Korean exporters to strengthen food safety controls across the entire process, from raw material management and manufacturing to quality inspections and product information management, rather than simply meeting product registration and labeling requirements.
Jeon Gi-chan, Director of aT’s Export Food Division mentioned, “Regulations that exporters need to prepare for in advance including halal certification, food safety and labeling requirements, are rapidly changing and increasing in Indonesia and Vietnam.”
