South Korea and China will replace paper inspection and quarantine certificates used in bilateral seafood trade with electronic documents. The shift is expected to eliminate the issuance and international mailing of more than 37,000 paper certificates a year, cutting costs for importers and exporters by about 3 billion won ($2.13 million) annually.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries signed a memorandum of understanding on electronic seafood certificates with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and China's General Administration of Customs in Dalian, China, on Thursday.
In 2025, the two countries issued a combined 37,390 inspection and quarantine certificates — 7,197 for exports and 30,193 for imports — equivalent to roughly 102 certificates a day. Exports to China totaled 160,000 metric tons worth $620 million, while imports from China reached 960,000 metric tons worth $1.5 billion, bringing total two-way seafood trade to $2.12 billion.
Under the current system, the exporting country's government issues a paper certificate that must be sent by international mail and submitted to the importing country. Once an electronic certificate framework is in place, the two governments' systems will exchange certificate data directly.
The change is expected to speed up customs clearance by eliminating the time needed to send and verify paper documents, as well as reducing associated costs. Officials also expect the system to improve the reliability and transparency of inspection and quarantine procedures by removing the risk of document forgery or tampering.
China is South Korea's largest seafood trading partner. Korea's top export items to China include dried seaweed, tuna, mackerel, squid and cod, while major imports from China include monkfish, short-necked clams, squid, octopus and Alaska pollock.
Under the MOU, the two countries will work toward issuing and exchanging electronic certificates, strengthening system interoperability, conducting pilot projects, sharing technology and expanding the range of covered products.
However, paper certificates will not be abolished immediately upon signing the MOU. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to revise relevant regulations for electronic certificate issuance and consult with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and China's General Administration of Customs on system integration methods, information security standards and a pilot project schedule. No timeline for full implementation was provided.
The ministry said it plans to expand electronic certificate cooperation to other major seafood trading partners, starting with China.
"This MOU is an important first step toward shifting Korea-China seafood trade to a paperless, digital system," said Choe Hyeon-ho, director general for fisheries policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. "We expect that the full introduction of electronic certificates will also help strengthen the export competitiveness of Korean businesses."
adastra@heraldcorp.com
