KOTRA holds K-consumer goods export fair alongside KCON LA, sealing $8M in export MOUs

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced Tuesday that it held a "K-Consumer Goods North America B2B Export Consultation" event at the Los Angeles Convention Center over two days starting Friday, running alongside KCON LA 2026, the global K-culture festival.

Forty companies in the beauty, food, fashion and lifestyle sectors took part, conducting more than 193 one-on-one export consultations with 77 local distributors and vendors in the United States. Riding the wave of K-consumer goods popularity, the event generated $8 million in export MOUs signed live on-site.

The event was organized under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' program supporting joint overseas expansion by large and small companies. KOTRA collaborated with CJ ENM and the Large and Small Business, Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation Foundation to hold the B2B export consultation fair in conjunction with KCON, which CJ ENM organizes, providing wide-ranging support for Korean consumer goods companies seeking to expand into the US market.

The United States is the world's largest consumer market, valued at $5.6 trillion annually, and demand for K-consumer goods has run hot for several years. South Korea's cosmetics exports to the US reached $2.18 billion in 2025, up about 15 percent from $1.9 billion the previous year, topping the US import market for the second consecutive year and edging out France. Food exports also maintained strong momentum, rising about 13 percent to $2.2 billion from $1.95 billion the year before. The US is South Korea's largest export market for both K-beauty and K-food.

A representative of a US retail company said more American consumers are actively seeking out Korean products due to the influence of K-culture. "Korean products stand out for their quality, design and ability to quickly reflect the latest trends," the representative said.

"There is particularly strong interest in the US in beauty products featuring new ingredients and functions, as well as foods that are both convenient and health-conscious," the representative added. "We want to discover Korean products that meet this demand and introduce them to the local market."

The consultation event was held on the floor of a B2C promotional fair open to general consumers. Buyers visiting company booths were able to witness firsthand the enthusiastic response of local consumers to K-consumer goods while conducting export consultations with Korean firms.

Lee Geum-ha, KOTRA's head of the North America regional headquarters, said the growing popularity of K-culture and K-consumer goods in the world's largest market is lifting South Korea's overall national brand and generating positive spillover effects across other markets and the broader manufacturing sector. "We will do our best, working with private partners and specialist organizations, to ensure this popularity continues to grow," Lee said.

Meanwhile, KOTRA held a "2026 Second-Half Export Diversification Strategy Meeting" chaired by President Kang Gyeong-seong at its headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on Aug. 11, with all senior executives in attendance. The meeting was convened to discuss concrete strategies and action plans for export diversification — a priority highlighted at a recent presidential briefing involving government ministries and key public institutions — as part of KOTRA's broader efforts to expand exports and diversify markets for Korean companies.