SEOUL, KOREA - Korea’s Kimchi exports have been on a downward trend for 21 straight months starting from November 2012.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. on August 27, the nation’s Kimchi sales overseas stood at 14,725 tons or US$50.59 million in the first seven months of this year. This figure is down 3.29 percent in volume terms and 5.71 percent in value terms compared to a year ago (15,226 tons and $53.55 million).
On a monthly basis, the nation’s pickledcabbageexports registered a negative year-on-year growth of 5.57 percent in January, 6.60 percent in February, 4.87 percent in March, 5.36 percent in April, 14.95 percent in May, 1.16 percent in June and 0.75 percent in July.
The nation’s Kimchi exports have been on a downward spiral since it fell 3.8 percent in November 2012.An official at the food trade corporation blamed such decline on the trend of the high yen value against the won which aggravated the price competitiveness of Kimchi in Japan which accounts for 73.7 percent in the total exports.
