Goheung-gun, Export Agreement for Agricultural and Marine Specialty Products with Invited US Buyers

Published 03 May.2023 17:55(KST)

Export Agreement of 5 Million USD for Goheung Yuzu and Seaweed

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Young-min) announced on May 2nd that it signed an export agreement worth 5 million USD for Goheung agricultural and marine specialty products with RDT Inc., a local American agrifood trade company, at the Palyongsan Hall of the county office.

According to the county, this agreement resulted from two local buyer invitation events held in the U.S. market from April 22 to April 23 and from May 1 to May 4, during which local companies processing Goheung citron tea, gim (seaweed), fruit jam, and seaweed were toured along with their production factories, followed by export consultations between producers and buyers.

[Photo by Goheung-gun]

This follows the move on April 7 when the ‘Goheung Agricultural and Marine Products Export Pioneering Team,’ led by Governor Gong Young-min, signed export agreements worth a total of 30 million USD with two major U.S. distributors. A county official explained, “The significance lies in the practical promotion of work with export agreement companies and strengthening cooperation and linkage with local U.S. distribution companies to jointly pioneer the U.S. market.”

The overseas buyer invitation event, held twice over a total of 4 nights and 6 days, was attended by the CEO of Chimaeks Produce Co., Ltd., a local U.S. partner company, the CEO and executives of RDT Inc., and Carlos J Moya, CEO of Moya Enterprise Inc., a U.S. import and distribution specialist, who visited Goheung-gun to discuss practical steps for export.

Currently, the CEO of RDT Inc. is Mr. Lee Cheong-hee, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1974, operated an automobile transmission remanufacturing factory for about 25 years, and is now a businessman with a wide network in the local U.S. liquor market distribution. Through his extensive network in the U.S. liquor market, he is playing a significant role in securing sales channels for Goheung agricultural and marine products.

Governor Gong Young-min of Goheung-gun said, “Until now, most local governments’ exports have been in the form of small quantities of various products based on the Korean-American market, but Goheung-gun is pursuing a strategy to directly target the local distribution market.” He added, “We plan to foster strategic items that can sustain continuous exports with various policy supports such as quality certification fees and packaging development to gain competitiveness in the local market.”

A county official stated, “Due to recent global economic recession and international conflicts, the export market is very unstable. In response, Goheung-gun is actively diversifying overseas export markets and pioneering new markets to secure stable sales channels and branding for Goheung agricultural and marine processed products.”