Gyeonggi Province exported USD 70.09 million of agricultural products, including ginseng, kimchi, pears, orchids, mushrooms, and tea leaves, in the 1st quarter of 2008, an increase of 6 percent over the same period last year.

*Amount of Exports by Year (Unit: USD 1 Million) – 2004: 145 (5%) 2005: 174 (20%) 2006: 208 (20%) 2007: 307 (48%)
* Share of National Export of Agricultural Products held by Gyeonggi Province: 2002: 6.8% 2007: 12.3% 2010: 13.3% (forecast)
– Ranking by Region in terms of 2007 Export Amount – No. 1: Gyeongsangnam-do, No. 2: Gyeonggi-do, No. 3: Chungcheongnam-do

By nation, the province’s exports to the US amounted to USD 22.75 million, accounting for 32 percent, which is the largest portion of the total exports, followed by exports to China of USD 12.37 million, exports to Japan of USD 11.88 million, exports to Australia of USD 13.76 million, exports to Southeast Asian countries of USD 4.21 million, exports to Saudi Arabia of USD 1.33 million, and exports to Canada of USD 1.2 million. The province exported more than 85 different agricultural items to 45 nations.

Notably, exports of certain items showed sharp growth. Exports of mushrooms, kimchi, chicken, makgeoli, and sauces rose 158 percent, 140 percent, 140 percent, 50 percent, and 46 percent, respectively, resulting in a bright outlook for this year’s exports. Export growth is attributed to the production of premium products, the reinforcement of marketing customized for overseas markets, and the attraction of new foreign buyers.

The province plans to invest KRW 3.54 billion to provide a range of financial and promotional supports in order to achieve this year’s export target of USD 0.35 million (initial target: USD 0.32 million). Planned support from the province includes the hosting of overseas sales promotion events, the dispatch of overseas market entry teams, the invitation of foreign buyers, support for the acquisition of foreign certification for agricultural products, and the distribution of packaging materials for the export of agricultural products.

The province also aims to expand exports of agricultural products by hosting overseas sales promotion events that feature premium organic agricultural products, and by sharing information with foreign buyers. The province will contribute to the development of agricultural and fishing villages and to increasing the incomes of agricultural households by stabilizing supply and demand in the domestic agricultural market, and by making active efforts to promote export market diversification.