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Exporting to South Korea — CEPA, MFDS facility registration and the KC mark

Last reviewed 2026-10 · 4 sections

South Korea is a demanding, high-value market with a genuine preference for Indian-origin goods — and a food-import regime that starts with registering the overseas facility, not the shipment.

CEPA: a real preference, with origin rules

The India–Korea agreement has been in force since 2010 and gives preferential treatment across a range of goods, claimed with valid origin documentation meeting the agreement's product-specific rules.

Korea is strict on origin verification: the customs authority issues origin verification requests and can pursue the importer for duty when a claim fails. Confirm that your product meets the rule and that your supplier declarations are sound before you quote a preferential price.

Food: register the facility, then the product

  • Overseas food facility registration. Korea requires foreign facilities that manufacture, process or store food destined for Korea to be registered with the food and drug safety ministry before export. It is a supplier-side obligation.
  • The Korean importer must also be registered, and imports are subject to documentary and, where applicable, physical and laboratory inspection.
  • Positive-list residues. Korea operates a positive list system for pesticide residues in agricultural products: where no limit is set for a substance, a default low limit applies. As with Japan, the absence of a listed limit is not permission.
  • Labelling must be in Korean, with prescribed content.

Standards and the KC mark

  • Consumer and electrical products covered by Korea's certification scheme require the KC mark, obtained through testing and certification to Korean requirements.
  • Certification is product-level and must exist before the goods are offered for sale; a foreign test report alone is generally not sufficient.
  • Standards are published by the Korean standards authority; some are mandatory, others voluntary.

Documents and market reading

  • Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin for a CEPA claim; facility and product registration evidence; KC certification; Korean labelling artwork; residue test reports.
  • Korean import data is detailed and reliable, but its unit values reflect a high-value, processed mix — useful for comparison between Korean suppliers, less so as a guide to what you should charge.

Use the tools

Sources & further reading

Korea Customs Service MFDS — food & drug safety Korean Agency for Technology and Standards

These guides summarise public material from the bodies named above. They are general information, not advice on a specific shipment, and they are not a substitute for a ruling from your customs authority or a qualified customs broker / consultant.

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