The Lotte Mart supermarket chain (South Korea) has officially begun selling pomelos originating from Vietnam. This marks a significant milestone for Vietnam’s pomelo itself. Also, this affirms the growing position of Vietnam’s agricultural exports.
In 2024, South Korea remained Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States.
Data from Korea shows that in 2024, South Korea saw a sharp increase in fresh fruit imports. The fresh fruit export value reached a record value of $1.45 billion, up 20.1% compared to 2023. This growth reflects South Korea’s increasing reliance on imported fruits. Meanwhile, domestic production has faced challenges due to climate change and adverse weather conditions.
Vietnam’s pomelo
In addition, in 2024, bilateral trade between Vietnam and South Korea reached $82 billion, a 7.4% increase. Notably, Vietnam’s key export products to the South Korean market continued to show positive growth, including:
Coffee: $141 million (up 22%)
Seafood: $810 million (up 2%)
Fresh fruits and vegetables reached $319 million, growing by a remarkable 40%. This was an impressive figure given the volatility of the global economy.
Korea also forecasts that fruit imports into this country will continue to rise sharply. Total imports of fresh, dried, and frozen fruits will increase by 6.8%, reaching 817,000 tons in 2025. This volume will be going up to 865,000 tons by 2034.
According to the Plant Protection Department, the journey to bring Vietnam’s pomelo into the South Korean market began in 2018. However, it only truly accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic. After multiple rounds of technical negotiations, it wasn’t until April 2024 that both sides finalized import conditions. Accordingly, each batch of Vietnamese pomelos must be sample-tested before customs clearance.
Previously, in September 2024, it was markable that a Vietnamese company successfully exported its first batch of 5 tons of pomelos to South Korea. Notably, the export price to Korea reached $2.4 per kilogram. It was 30% higher than the price in the Chinese market.
Therefore, the event of Lotte Mart officially putting Vietnam’s pomelo on its shelves is not only a clear testament to the quality and reputation of Vietnamese fruit in the international market. In addition, it is also a recognition of the tireless efforts by authorities and businesses in expanding official export channels to this demanding market.
Vietnamese pomelo on Lotte Mart
Aiming to export 500 tons in 2025 (worth approximately $1.2 million), this company hopes to make pomelo a key product in this high-potential market.
A representative of the Vietnam Trade Office in South Korea affirmed that it will continue to support businesses in trade promotion, provide market information, and assist with export procedures. The presence of Vietnamese pomelos in a major distribution system like Lotte Mart not only contributes to increasing bilateral trade turnover but also clearly demonstrates the effective cooperation between the government and businesses in expanding agricultural export markets in a strategic and sustainable manner.
This is seen as a major breakthrough, opening up new prospects for high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products in the promising South Korean market.
Vietnamese source: https://thuehaiquan.tapchikinhtetaichinh.vn/buoi-cua-viet-nam-chinh-thuc-vao-sieu-thi-han-quoc-195642.html