Illegal Chinese Red Pepper Powder Entering Same Day, Domestic Distribution to Be Blocked... Yoon Jae-gap Proposes Customs Act Amendment

Unrestricted Annual Quotas 'Exploited' by Baggage Traders, Importing and Selling Chinese Agricultural Products on Same Day
Disrupting Domestic Agricultural Market Prices
Rep. Yoon Jae-gap Calls to Block Domestic Imports of Agricultural Products Beyond Personal Consumption

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] A legal measure is being prepared to sanction Chinese peddlers who disrupt domestic agricultural product market prices by illegally importing and selling agricultural products such as red pepper powder through daily day trips.

On the 20th, Yoon Jae-gap, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee (Democratic Party, Haenam-Wando-Jindo), announced that he has taken the lead in proposing a partial amendment to the Customs Act to limit the annual customs clearance volume of agricultural products to prevent illegal distribution of overseas agricultural products by peddlers.

The current Customs Act grants tax exemption benefits to travelers bringing in agricultural, forestry, and livestock products for personal consumption within 1 to 5 kg per item and a total weight of up to 40 kg.

The problem is that there is no limit on the annual quantity that can be brought in, which has been exploited by peddlers who import and sell illegal Chinese agricultural products such as red pepper powder through daily day trips, thereby disrupting domestic agricultural product market prices.

According to a special investigation on illegal distribution of Chinese agricultural products conducted by Busan City last year, Distribution and Sales Company A was found to have regularly purchased and sold about 42 tons of Chinese agricultural products through peddlers since 2014.

According to the Korea Customs Service, with neighboring countries such as China becoming part of the one-day living zone, the number of people traveling abroad on day trips is estimated to have reached 730,000 in 2019, increasing annually until the outbreak of COVID-19. However, it is difficult to grasp the total amount of agricultural products brought in by travelers or the status of illegal distribution. Yoon’s office believes that more domestic farmers are suffering damages due to the illegal distribution of Chinese agricultural products.

Accordingly, Yoon proposed a partial amendment to the Customs Act to include an annual weight limit within the tax-exempt customs clearance scope of agricultural products, so that agricultural products exceeding personal consumption purposes cannot be brought into the country.

Yoon said, "Through this amendment, we will do our best to prevent price disruption in the domestic agricultural product market and ensure that the honest sweat of farmers receives fair compensation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.