Asian nation may seek access to the US for its sweet potatoes in response potential request for increased access for US potatoes
The Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has begun formulating strategies in preparation for trade pressures with the US following new tariffs announced by the Trump administration.
A new 25 per cent tariff on Korean exports to the US was announced and according to a report from Chosun Business, the Ministry expects potatoes to be the most likely agricultural item to receive trade pressure from the US.
US potato exports to Korea have been subject to extensive negotiations since the US requested access ten years ago. Currently, Korea only allows imports from 22 US states, including Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, which account for about 70 per cent of total volume.
The US is seeking that an additional 11 inland states be included, which would enable about 90 per cent of the total U.S. potato production to enter the Korean market.
According to the report, the Ministry is contemplating whether to use the expansion of exports of Korean sweet potatoes to the US as a negotiating card.
The ministry maintains an official position that “there have been no direct requests from the US side”, but trade experts and officials believe that “there is a strong possibility that agricultural products will be targeted this time as well”.
The ministry recently included sweet potatoes in the ‘2025 export quarantine negotiation major items’ and specified the US as a target country for export negotiations.
“Sweet potatoes are a highly demanded item among Koreans in the US,” a Ministry official said. “Sweet potatoes with strong sweetness are rare in the US so Korean sweet potatoes can be competitive.”
