DTI works to facilitate entry of RP poultry products to Korea

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is exerting all effort to facilitate the entry of Philippine poultry products to Korea.

Trade and Industry Secretary Juan B. Santos, who is in Korea to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Conference Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade (APEC MRT Meeting), met Soon-Han Kwon, chairman of the Korea Importers’ Association (KOIMA) to seek assistance from Korea’s largest importer association in calling for a speedier disposition of the ongoing import risk analysis (IRA) process being undertaken by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry related to the Philippines’ application to export poultry products to Korea.

According to Santos, "our request for an early resolution of the IRA process augurs well to our objective to further increase the country’s exports of poultry products in international markets like Korea. With the Philippines remaining to be the only major poultry exporter in Southeast Asia unaffected by the avian flu outbreak, the Korean government should consider this a significant factor to accept our exports of poultry products," Santos said.

Santos pointed out that there is a huge potential for exporting poultry products to Korea.

"During the early 1990’s, Korea’s global import of fresh and frozen chicken parts alone reached $93 million yearly. This figure however decreased nearly 50 percent in 2004 due to sourcing constraints caused by the avian flu outbreak," he said.

Santos said that Kwon promised to exert the necessary effort to help facilitate the speedy processing of the Philippines’ request.

Santos added that Kwon committed to lead a KOIMA buying mission to the Philippines.

KOIMA is the largest importer association in Korea with over 13,000 importer-members representing principals that include the Korean government, department store chains, discount store chains, wholesale stores, restaurants, hotels, airlines and Korea’s manufacturing companies.

As a group, KOIMA accounts for about 80 percent (roughly $140 billion) of the total importation into the Korean economy in 2004.

The country’s exports of poultry products reached $2.914 million in 2004.

Fresh/ chilled/ frozen whole chicken exports account for $597,764 while the remaining $2.316 million make up for shipments of fresh/ chilled/ frozen chicken cut into parts.