Trade with South Korea
How you import from and export to South Korea.
UK-South Korea trade agreement
The UK has a trade agreement with South Korea. An upgrade to this agreement has been negotiated, which will be ratified and enter into force in due course.
This guidance provides information on aspects of trade covered by the existing UK-South Korea agreement. It is for UK businesses trading with South Korea.
What the agreement includes
This trade agreement includes provisions on:
- trade in goods - including provisions on preferential tariffs, tariff rate quotas, rules of origin and sanitary and phytosanitary measures
- trade in services
- intellectual property, including geographical indications
- government procurement
Tariff rates on goods
Tariff rates for bilateral trade in goods between the UK and South Korea continue to apply as set out in the agreement. However, in some cases, the non-preferential applied rates may in fact be lower because of changes in the UK’s Most Favoured Nation tariff schedule.
You can use online tools UK Integrated Online Tariff and check how to export goods to check product-specific and country-specific information on tariffs and regulations that currently apply to UK trade in goods. These tools are regularly updated to reflect any changes.
Tariff rate quotas
Tariff rate quotas in the agreement have been tailored specifically to the UK.
To find out the tariff rate quotas, see tables 4 and 5 of the parliamentary report.
Rules of origin
Finding the correct rule of origin for export or import
Depending on the type of good you are seeking to export or import, in order to claim preferential treatment it will need to be either wholly obtained, produced entirely from originating materials or sufficiently processed in the United Kingdom or South Korea (see UK/Korea: Free Trade Agreement (with Exchange of Notes) [CS Korea No.1/2019], Volume 2, part 3).
To be considered sufficiently processed your good will need to meet the relevant Product Specific Rule (PSR). The PSRs for this agreement use the 2007 version of the Harmonised System (HS) nomenclature. You should apply the PSR for your good using the code in which it was classified under this nomenclature.
In a limited number of cases, the code for your good may have changed during HS revisions. We are currently updating our online services to reflect these changes. In the interim, correlation tables tracing these changes have been made available by the World Customs Organization and the United Nations.
Claiming preferential rates for your imports to and exports from the UK
The requirements for claiming preference remain unchanged from the EU-South Korea trade agreement. Your goods should be accompanied by an origin declaration made out by one of the following:
- an approved exporter
- any exporter for a consignment of originating products whose total value does not exceed €6,000
Approved exporter authorisations issued in the UK prior to the UK leaving the EU remain valid in the UK for goods exported under the UK-South Korea trade agreement.
Using EU materials and processing in your imports from and exports to South Korea (EU cumulation)
If you use EU materials or processing in the production of goods for import from and export to South Korea under the FTA, your goods can still be considered originating, helping you to meet the rules of origin (this is called EU cumulation).
You must ensure the manufacturing you do in the UK or South Korea goes beyond the insufficient working or processing listed in the agreement and that the other relevant conditions are met.
For example, you cannot simply package or label a product from the EU and export it to South Korea as a good originating in the UK.
See the list of insufficient operations in Article 6 of the Rules of Origin Protocol in the UK-South Korea trade agreement text.
Expiry and extension of the EU cumulation provision
The EU cumulation provision in the existing UK-South Korea trade agreement was due to expire on 31 December 2025.
The UK and Korea agreed to extend this provision until the entry into force of the new agreement or 1 July 2027 (whichever date comes first). This extension aims to prevent a market access gap until the new rules in the future agreement are in place.
Sending your goods to South Korea or the UK through the EU and other countries (direct transport)
Transit between the UK and Korea through countries is possible without this impacting the originating status of your goods provided they are not released into free circulation in the country of transit and do not undergo operations other than unloading, reloading or any operation designed to preserve them in good condition (this is what we call direct transport).
Goods transited through the EU are not subject to the same restrictions as those in transit through other countries.
For example, you can split a consignment in the EU when exporting goods to South Korea, provided the goods comprising the consignment have not cleared customs in the EU.
Expiry and extension of the direct transport through the EU provision
The direct transport through the EU provision in the existing UK-South Korea trade agreement was supposed to expire on 31 December 2025.
The UK and South Korea agreed to extend this provision until the entry into force of the new agreement or on 1 July 2027 (whichever date comes first).
Origin quotas
Origin quotas in the agreement have been tailored specifically to the UK.
See table 6 listed in the agreement parliamentary report for details on the origin quotas.
Geographical indications
Geographical indications (GIs) protect the geographical names of food, drink and agricultural products. Both the UK and South Korea’s existing GIs remain covered by this agreement.
The following UK GIs, including ‘transborder GIs’ that relate to the territory of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are protected in this agreement:
- Irish whisky/Irish whiskey
- Scotch whisky
Next steps
Get further guidance on:
- exporting goods from the UK: step by step
- moving goods into, out of, or through Northern Ireland
- rules of origin between the UK and the EU
- using freight forwarders
Businesses can get specialist export help and support from Business.gov.uk.
This guidance is for information only. You should consult your legal advisers if you wish to ensure you understand the legal implications of trading for your business.
Contact
If you have queries about trade, contact the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
Updates to this page
-
Guidance clarified on rules of origin to make it clear that they apply to both imports and exports. Details added about the extension of EU cumulation and direct transport provisions under the UK-South Korea trade agreement, which now apply until 1 July 2027 or the entry into force of the new agreement. Links to the agreement text and supporting resources were included.
-
Added guidance on finding the correct rule of origin for export.
-
Updated following a content review.
-
Updated to include information on origin quotas.
-
Page updated to provide detailed guidance on how to trade with South Korea from 1 January 2021. This includes information on import tariff rates and rules of origin.
-
First published.