K-consumer goods exports to China rebound as KOTRA pledges full support for V-shaped recovery

South Korea is moving to accelerate the push of K-consumer goods into the Chinese market, capitalizing on improving bilateral ties. With exports already returning to growth in the first half of this year, the government aims to sustain the momentum through the second half and achieve a full V-shaped recovery in consumer goods exports to China.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) held a consumer goods export review meeting on Friday, chaired by Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan, with KOTRA's president, commercial attaches at South Korean diplomatic missions in China, and KOTRA China regional trade center directors in attendance. The meeting reviewed first-half export results and discussed strategies to expand market access in the second half.

China's consumer goods market is valued at 50 trillion yuan ($7.44 trillion), yet South Korea's consumer goods exports to China have been on a downward trend since peaking at $9.3 billion in 2021.

Building on a cross-ministry export expansion plan announced in February, the government has broadened exchanges between central and local governments on both sides, used KOTRA's in-country trade centers as hubs for certification and retail network support, and stepped up marketing targeting new consumer segments — including inland cities and Generation Z and senior shoppers.

As a result, South Korea's consumer goods exports to China reached $3.44 billion in the first half of this year, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year. By category, fashion apparel exports rose 33.4 percent and food exports climbed 17.7 percent. Cosmetics also swung back into positive territory in June, posting a 23.8 percent year-on-year gain.

Growth was broad-based across China. Exports to Hubei Province surged 378 percent year on year, while Liaoning Province recorded a 69 percent increase, Hainan Province 62 percent, Beijing 46 percent, Shanxi Province 33 percent and Anhui Province 15 percent.

In the second half, the government plans to strengthen region-specific support to keep the recovery on track. It will expand live-commerce broadcasts on local platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu and set up K-consumer goods pop-up stores in major cities to create more offline brand experiences.

KOTRA will also broaden its retail distribution network in China. Through its "one trade center, one distribution network" partnership program, the agency will deepen ties with major platforms such as JD.com and Alibaba while identifying 10 new local distribution partners.

Logistics desks dedicated to K-consumer goods will be established in inland cities including Chengdu and Xi'an, building a support network stretching from the coast to the interior. KOTRA also plans to expand cooperation with provincial governments in Shandong, Jiangsu and Guangdong to resolve on-the-ground obstacles such as local export regulations.

Success stories are already emerging from KOTRA's on-the-ground support. In Qingdao, a ramyun manufacturer identified only as Company H received KOTRA assistance — including influencer matching, online consulting, short-clip production and live-commerce support — and saw its monthly sales on Douyin's online storefront jump more than tenfold, from 100,000 yuan to 1.05 million yuan.

In Shenzhen, KOTRA is running a program that connects South Korean companies with Sam's Club China's Asia procurement headquarters, providing support from initial consultations through factory inspections to store listings and supply contracts. Since the program launched in 2021, related exports to China have totaled $9.94 million over five years, and this year's annual figure is projected to reach $10.6 million.

In Shanghai, KOTRA hosted the 2026 Korea-China Biopharma Partnership targeting the pharmaceuticals and biopharma sector, facilitating 75 business consultations. The event yielded six promising projects, $24 million in consultation value and $6.3 million in contracts under negotiation.

KOTRA President Kang Gyeong-seong said that following the APEC summit last October and the Korea-China summit in January, a favorable atmosphere for economic cooperation has taken hold, and exports of South Korea's five major consumer goods categories to China — which had been in a slump since 2022 — have begun to rebound this year. "K-consumer goods are a core pillar of South Korea's export diversification, and we will do our utmost to establish them as a new engine of export growth," he said.