South Korea: Exporting products

In this page: Customs procedures for export in South Korea | Organize a transportation of goods to and from South Korea

Customs procedures for export in South Korea

Customs Procedures

Restrictions

Exports from Korea are not subject to any restrictions.

«Export permission» and «Export approval» are necessary but they only concern goods internationally recognized as being subject to such restrictions (weapons, nuclear energy, missiles, toxic waste etc.). Exports to North Korea also need an official approval.

Export Taxes

No tax is levied on exports. Exports are also exempt from consumption tax.

Export Clearance

An exporter should make an accurate customs declaration by laws related to trade and customs clearance, such as the Customs Act and the Foreign Trade Act. Exporters can file an export notice to Korean Customs by computer-based shipping documents at the time of export clearance. All commodities can be freely exported unless they are included on the negative list.
More information on Korea customs service.

Necessary Declaration

Export declaration must be filed to the customs house which is in charge of the district where the goods are stored by EDI method with specifications of the goods under the name of a cargo owner, a customs broker, and a customs brokerage firm.
Declaration must be written on an export declaration form stating the description of the goods as well as quantity, value and other particulars required. List of Documents required for Exports Customs Clearance:

Pro Forma Invoice
Customs Packing List
Country of Origin or COO Certificate
Customs Invoice
Shipping Bill
Bill of Lading
Letter of Credit
Bill of Exchange
Export License
Warehouse Receipt
Health Certificates

Controlling the Quality of the Products

Quality Control Organizations: Korea Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS)
Korea Standards Association (KSA)
Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL)

Organize a transportation of goods to and from South Korea

Main Useful Means of Transport: Roads are the most important infrastructure for goods carrying over 90% of the country's transport volume. Korea has 57 railroad routes and they act as the main mode of transport for large cargo.
There are eight international airports, including Incheon International Airport, and seven domestic airports. 11 scheduled airlines and 3 cargo airlines operate frequent flights between Korea and many countries around the world.

The size of the country's shipping industry was estimated to have reached 37 trillion won (US$31.2 billion) in 2019, growing from 29 trillion won in 2016 amid the global crisis, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. South Korea has three main port authorities, Busan Port Authority (BPA), Incheon Port Authority (IPA) and Ulsan Port Authority (UPA). The country's shipping capacity is set to reach 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 2020, more than doubling from 500,000 TEUs in 2019.

By Sea

Ports: Busan Port Authority (BPA)
Incheon Port Authority (IPA)
Ulsan Port Authority (UPA)
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)

By Air

Airports
Transport Professionals: Korean Air
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)

By Road

Transport Professionals: CJ Logistics
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)

By Rail

Transport Professionals: Korea Railroad (KORAIL)
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)

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