Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan [Yonhap]
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan [Yonhap]

South Korea's exports to China rose about 9 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year, the government said Friday.

The government plans to provide comprehensive support to South Korean companies entering China's consumer goods market, valued at 50 trillion yuan ($7.44 trillion), with the aim of sustaining the first-half export rebound through the end of the year.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Minister Kim Jung-kwan chaired a "consumer goods export review meeting" on Friday with commercial attaches at South Korean diplomatic missions in China and heads of KOTRA trade centers in the country, reviewing first-half export performance and discussing plans to expand shipments in the second half.

China's consumer goods market is a massive 50-trillion-yuan arena, but South Korean consumer goods exports to the country had been on a declining trend after peaking at $9.3 billion in 2021.

In response, the government leveraged the momentum in South Korea-China relations that followed summit diplomacy earlier this year — including through a cross-ministry export expansion plan announced in February — helping push first-half consumer goods exports to China to $3.44 billion, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year.

Fashion apparel (up 33.4 percent) and food products (up 17.7 percent) led the gains. Cosmetics also turned positive in June, rising 23.8 percent year-on-year, reflecting broad-based improvement across major consumer goods categories.

Growth was not confined to a single region but spread across China. Double-digit increases were recorded in Hubei Province in central China (up 378 percent), Liaoning Province in the northeast (69 percent), Hainan Province in the south (62 percent), Beijing in the north (46 percent), Shaanxi Province in the west (33 percent) and Anhui Province in the east (15 percent).

To cement what the government is calling a "V-shaped rebound" in consumer goods exports to China, authorities plan to intensify region-specific market entry support in the second half. This will include marketing campaigns tailored to the latest local consumer trends — such as live-commerce broadcasts on platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu — as well as pop-up stores for Korean consumer goods in major cities to expand offline consumer experiences.

Under a "one trade center, one distribution network" initiative, the government will also add 10 new local distribution channels alongside existing major platforms such as JD.com and Alibaba. Logistics desks dedicated to Korean consumer goods will be established in inland cities including Chengdu and Xi'an, building a support system stretching from the coast to the interior.

The government also plans to work with Chinese counterparts and institutions to proactively resolve trade barriers, including export regulations, and to strengthen networks with major provincial governments in Shandong, Jiangsu and Guangdong to foster a more business-friendly environment.

"Consumer goods exports to China, which had been sluggish, are now showing a meaningful upward trend thanks to the concerted efforts of the public and private sectors," Kim said, urging officials to "accelerate corporate support activities in the second half based on a thorough assessment of export conditions in each region."


oskymoon@heraldcorp.com