Online integrated delegation to run through July 31

Buyer outreach centered on 7 Middle East trade offices

AI and social media marketing to recommend alternative markets

KOTRA's Yangjae headquarters. [Courtesy of KOTRA]
KOTRA's Yangjae headquarters. [Courtesy of KOTRA]

As the Middle East war drags on and export conditions in the region grow increasingly unstable, KOTRA is stepping in to help Korean companies restore exports and find alternative markets. The agency aims to go beyond initial damage control by combining online consultations, AI-driven market analysis and digital marketing to close gaps in companies' export pipelines.

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced Wednesday that it will run the "2026 Middle East Export Continuity Online Integrated Delegation" on an emergency basis through July 31. The project is designed to ease difficulties facing companies whose exports have been disrupted by the war and to help them expand into neighboring markets.

KOTRA will conduct the delegation entirely online, taking into account the travel burden on domestic-focused companies and export beginners. Seven trade offices operating in areas directly affected by the war will lead efforts to identify new buyers, and the agency will facilitate one-on-one video consultations between Korean companies and local buyers. At the same time, KOTRA will explore nearby markets — including China and Southeast Asia — as alternative export destinations to diversify sales channels.

The program is open to roughly 150 companies, including firms with a track record of Middle East exports as well as domestic-focused businesses and export beginners looking to enter the region. Regional companies will receive preferential benefits.

Before the video consultations begin, KOTRA will hold seminars covering current Middle East issues and post-war reconstruction opportunities. The agency plans to outline export opportunities by sector — including construction and plant engineering, defense and basic consumer goods — alongside shifts in the local political landscape. Overseas trade offices will then conduct a "product preview," assessing the local market viability of each participating company's products in advance to improve the accuracy of consultation matching.

Digital export support will run in parallel. KOTRA will work with its network of 20 AI Trade Support Centers nationwide to help participating companies produce product introduction content, and will set up a dedicated Middle East section on buyKOREA, its online export platform, to give products continuous exposure. Social media and digital marketing will also be used to generate purchase inquiries from overseas buyers.

An AI-based alternative market recommendation service will also be deployed. Through "AI Export Information," KOTRA's public-facing AI export support service, the agency will analyze the HS codes and export experience behind each company's target products and suggest promising alternative markets. Market analysis reports covering market size, the competitive landscape, retail structures, and certification and regulation requirements — along with information on potential buyers — will also be provided.

Concern about export disruptions is already being heard from companies on the ground. One firm said it had been in the middle of fulfilling an order for a Middle East buyer when the war stalled the process. "The quantity hasn't been confirmed because of the war," the company said, adding that it urgently needs to find additional buyers.

Others, however, report that local demand remains solid. One Middle East retail network buyer said that despite the war, demand for Korean consumer goods in the region is strong enough to justify switching from maritime to air freight. "We still want to import Korean products even if we have to pay to shift from maritime to air logistics," the buyer said.

KOTRA intends to extend the current effort beyond short-term emergency response into medium-term export recovery and support for promising sectors in a post-war environment. The agency is particularly focused on developing follow-up support for sectors expected to see strong post-war demand, including plant engineering, healthcare, basic consumer goods and defense.

Starting with the Middle East online delegation, KOTRA plans to roll out a relay series of video consultations extending to China and Southeast Asia, and will continue supporting companies in identifying alternative markets.

"It is KOTRA's job to open export channels for companies, especially in emergencies like the Middle East war," KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung said. "We will continue Middle East export support following this emergency response and expand our efforts to find alternative markets." He added that the agency is also preparing export strategies for promising post-war sectors such as plant engineering, healthcare, basic consumer goods and defense. "We will mobilize every available tool — AI-powered digital marketing, online consultations and on-the-ground trade office support — to back our exporting companies," he said.


kwater@heraldcorp.com