Deal comes after two decades of negotiations, but high tariffs may mean a false start
South Africa’s minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has announced the country has gained market access to Korea for the export of fresh table grapes.
The new market access began on 23 January 2026, allowing for exports to be made this season. However, according to a statement from South Africa’s Department of agriculture, there have been no shipments to date.
Negotiations have been ongoing for 20 years, culminating in a physical field verification visit to South Africa in February 2025 which led to the conclusion of Korea’s phytosanitary import requirements.
As part of the new agreement, exporters must meet all applicable phytosanitary and food safety requirements. This includes good agricultural practices for growers such as orchard sanitation, the use of integrated pest management and adequate control measures. Exported must also be registered with the Department of Agriculture.
Despite the technical access, Korea has not announced any changes to the tariffs it imposes on South African imports, which currently stand at 45 per cent for table grapes.
June Choi, executive managing director at Korean fresh produce importer Soo Il Commerce, said this would make it almost impossible to develop a commercial campaign.
“There is a big tariff gap between South Africa and other origins, for example Chile and Peru (which don’t incur any tariffs at all),” the importer said.
