6 Gyeongbuk Companies Hold $24.96 Million Export Consultations at US Las Vegas Exhibition

Gyeongbuk Province participated in the ‘2023 ASD Market Week in Las Vegas, USA’ from the 20th to the 23rd, where six food and consumer goods companies from the Gyeongbuk region engaged in export consultations totaling $24.96 million and secured on-site contracts worth $23,000.

The ASD Market Week in Las Vegas, marking its 62nd anniversary this year, is the largest consumer goods exhibition in North America. It attracted over 1,800 companies from 30 countries worldwide, including 67 domestic companies, and approximately 30,000 visitors, including major North American distributors such as 7-Eleven, Sam’s Club, and Lewis Drug.

Consumer goods exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA.

This year, the Gyeongbuk joint pavilion was organized in collaboration with the Daegu-Gyeongbuk branch of the Korea International Trade Association. Participating companies included Lifetail (Gyeongsan, ceramic household goods), Sangwaboreum (Yeongcheon, handmade chocolates), Celtadium (Seongju, health supplements and kombucha), R&R Food (Seongju, convenient meal misutgaru), Honest Farmer (Yeongcheon, pomegranate collagen and brown rice chips), and Korea TMT (Gyeongsan, microfiber cleaner specialized printing), which conducted a total of 278 consultations during the four-day exhibition.

In particular, Celtadium, which produces health functional foods and kombucha powder based on GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certifications, received recognition for its manufacturing capabilities from local buyers and received numerous inquiries regarding OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) orders. They achieved export consultations worth $1.46 million and on-site contracts totaling $17,000.

Lifetail, supplying ceramic household goods for bathrooms and kitchens, emphasized its antibacterial features and conducted export consultations worth approximately $20 million, securing an on-site contract of $1,000. Some overseas buyers on-site expressed interest in proceeding with contracts after conducting their own antibacterial testing procedures.

Honest Farmer, promoting food-grade pomegranate collagen and brown rice chips, secured export consultations worth $2.83 million and on-site contracts of $1,000. Buyers expressed optimism that overseas expansion could be further activated once health functional food certifications are obtained.

Additionally, twelve local university students proficient in trade practices and foreign languages supported the operation of the exhibition consultation booths for local companies, drawing attention at the event.

These students were selected as the top graduates from the 11th training course of the ‘Gyeongbuk Youth Trade Academy,’ a regional trade talent development program jointly operated by Gyeongbuk Province and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk branch of the Korea International Trade Association since 2013.

Gyeongbuk Province dispatched the students to the exhibition as part of an overseas trade field exploration. The students played a vital role as hidden workers for participating companies by preparing consultation booths, interpreting, and responding to local buyers, providing them with valuable hands-on export experience.

Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, “It has been confirmed that our companies are receiving significant attention from local buyers overseas, fueled by the K-wave in the global market. We will continue to support participation in overseas exhibitions to steadily pioneer export markets and provide opportunities for qualitative growth based on local feedback on our products.”

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