Browse Data and Analysis

On November 14, 2023, Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) released its final estimate of 2023 rice production at 3.7 million metric tons (MMT), up an additional 0.5 percent from the initial rice production estimates released in early October and down 1.6 percent overall from the prior year.

In 2023, the Korean government implemented three rounds of tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for various imported agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, including new TRQs to stabilize food prices.

As the 5th largest country export market for the United States, Korea provides a promising market for U.S. agricultural products. In 2022, Korea imported about $50 billion agricultural and food products from all over the world and the U.S. supplied a fifth of it, ranking number one. Other key suppliers were China, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Already reeling from high fruit prices, Korean consumers will face another year of expensive, lower-quality apples. Korea’s apple production for marketing year (MY) 2023/24 fell 25 percent year-on-year after orchards suffered a series of adverse weather events in 2023.

The cane harvest and crushing continued through November in Brazil's main sugar-producing Center-South (CS) region with good weather and prices. Total sugar production is estimated at 41 million metric tons (MMT) for 2023/24. Exports are estimated at 32 MMT.

Ample opportunities exist for U.S. agricultural exports to South Korea. Highlighted in the chart above, U.S. agricultural product exports were a record $9.5 billion in 2022, up 2 percent from 2021. South Korea is the sixth largest export market for the United States, thanks in part to a successful free trade agreement (KORUS) between the two countries and a robust demand for high-quality U.S. food products.

Brazil requires that imports and exports of animal-origin products be accompanied by certificate with animal health attestations and/or public health attestations. Import requirements are defined by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) and a certificate model has to be bilaterally negotiated before trade starts.

The Food and Agricultural Imports Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report provides an overview of the food laws and regulatory environment in Brazil as it relates to food and agricultural exports.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of biotech crops in the world with 105 events approved. For the 2022/2023 crop season, FAS Brasilia forecasts 68 million hectares planted with GE traits. Adoption rates for soybeans and cotton reached 99 percent and for corn, 95 percent.

Korea has not finalized the May 2021 revisions of its Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act, which defines Korea’s regulatory policies for products developed through innovative technologies including genome editing.

Following USDA’s revision of Brazil’s cotton balance sheet, production estimates moved one year ahead, meaning that Marketing Year (MY) 2023/24 cotton is equivalent to production bales entering the market in 2023, and not 2024. Post maintained its...

Post decreases the Brazilian coffee production for Marketing Year 2023/24 (July-June) to 66.3 million 60-kg bags, based on a projected decline in robusta/conilon production. Post forecasts arabica production at 44.9 million bags, a 12.8 percent increase over the previous season, due to an increase in planted area and higher yield.