Sharp increase in US mandarin imports coincide with planned tariff phase-out, sparking fears for local industry
Citrus growers on Korea’s Jeju Island have called for government support following the elimination of tariffs on mandarins imported from the US, according to a report from The Korea Times.
During a joint press conference on 30 December, local farmers’ groups urged the central and municipal governments to take steps to protect the island’s citrus industry.
“We urge the government to act immediately to compensate for the damage and stabilise supply and demand,” the groups said.
The Jeju branch of the Korean Successor Advanced Farmers Federation (KSAFF) also called for a “special emergency tariff,” a special tariff permitted under the Customs Act that the president can impose in response to a rapid increase of agricultural import volumes.
Under the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), which was originally signed in 2012, Korea agreed to gradually cut its 144 per cent tariff on US mandarins by 9.6 percentage points each year, phasing it out completely by 2026.
According to The Korea Times, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has noted that the tariff elimination has been anticipated for the past 15 years. However, Jeju’s citrus growers have said the growth in US mandarin imports has been unexpectedly sharp.
According to the Korea Customs Service, imports of US mandarins grew from 0.1 tonnes in 2017 to 7,619 tonnes in 2025, with the total value jumping from US$1.7mn in 2021 to US$20mn in 2025. Meanwhile, a recent USDA report on Korea’s citrus industry projected the country’s imports of US mandarins would reach 16,000 tonnes in 2025 – more than double the previous year’s volume.
Korean lawmakers have also expressed support for local citrus growers and called for government countermeasures.
“I asked the agriculture ministry to keep a close watch on market conditions and compensate for FTA-related losses,” Wi Seong-gon of the Democratic Party of Korea said in a social media post.
The People Power Party emphasised the need for policies that protect the local citrus industry.
“The government should stop expanding tariff-free imports of US mandarins,” the Justice Party’s Jeju branch said in a statement. “We need to request an emergency import control or an emergency tariff.”
Jeju’s growers also called out the e-commerce giant, Coupang, for its ongoing promotion of imported fruit and urged it to highlight domestic citrus products.
“We strongly warn Coupang for promoting the distribution of imported agricultural products,” the farmers’ groups said. “The platform is no longer just a sales channel – it influences prices, consumer choices and the entire agricultural market.”
