KITA holds Istanbul K-Halal product showcase targeting Europe, Middle East and North Africa

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) held the "Istanbul K-Halal Product Showcase" at the Shangri-La Bosphorus Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday (local time), the association announced Thursday.

Turkey is regarded as a strategic hub for reaching both the EU and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets simultaneously, thanks to its geographic position bridging Europe and Asia. KITA organized the event to help Korean companies enter Europe and MENA, which together account for a large share of the global halal consumer goods import market valued at around $400 billion annually. A total of 36 domestic consumer goods companies in beauty, food and household products participated.

KITA structured the event as a B2B program, bringing in major buyers with established local distribution networks to connect directly with Korean firms. Some 75 retail buyers — including BM, which operates more than 14,000 stores across Turkey and North Africa; supermarket chain Migros; and European drugstore chain Rossmann — conducted more than 550 one-on-one export consultations with participating companies over two days.

The event also featured seminars providing local market intelligence and tours of retail facilities. Alpago Yüresin, vice president of global beauty brand Flormar, shared strategies for entering the MENA halal market with K-beauty products. Following the main event, participants will visit local retail sites including Migros, Carrefour and Zorlu Center.

Beyond Turkey, KITA plans to support Korean companies in expanding halal food distribution in France and Indonesia. The association will run a "K-Halal Food Showcase" featuring 37 domestic companies at SIAL, an international food trade fair, at editions in Paris from Saturday through Wednesday and in Jakarta from Nov. 4 to 6. SIAL, which began in Paris in 1964, is also held in major cities around the world, including Jakarta and Shanghai.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, KITA Executive Vice President Jang Seok-min said the halal market "is growing at an average annual rate of more than 6 percent, driven by a young consumer base, and is emerging as a core strategic market for Korean companies." He added that KITA would "actively support Korean consumer goods companies in breaking into the halal market by strengthening step-by-step assistance covering certification, market research, buyer outreach and overseas marketing."

Meanwhile, KITA also held the "2026 Jakarta K-Premium Consumer Goods Exhibition" at the JICC exhibition center in Jakarta, Indonesia. Now in its eighth year, the event was held under the theme of "K-Halal and K-Consumer Goods" to help Korean companies enter Indonesia's vast halal market, where roughly 87 percent of the country's approximately 290 million people are Muslim. KITA said it plans to continue expanding Korean companies' reach across the broader halal market.