Most Korean food exports leave through Busan, Korea’s main container port, or Incheon. How you ship depends on volume and temperature.
Incoterms you will see
| Term | Meaning in practice |
|---|---|
| EXW | You collect from the factory; you handle export clearance and freight. |
| FOB Busan | The supplier delivers onto the vessel at Busan; you pay ocean freight and insurance. |
| CIF / CFR | The supplier pays freight (and insurance for CIF) to your port. |
| DAP / DDP | Delivered to your address; DDP includes duties. Less common for food. |
LCL vs. FCL
For first orders, LCL (less than container load) lets you share container space. Consolidating several Korean suppliers into one container is a common way to build a mixed K-Food assortment.
Temperature
- Ambient: sauces, jang, snacks, seaweed, ramyeon, beverages.
- Chilled: kimchi, fresh noodles, some makgeolli.
- Frozen: dumplings, frozen meals, rice cakes.
Chilled and frozen goods need reefer containers and cannot always be mixed with ambient goods.
Documents
Expect a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and certificate of origin. Depending on product and market you may also need health certificates or other attestations. Your forwarder and importer will confirm the list.