Importing Korean Food to the Philippines

Korean food has one of the strongest demand curves of any import category here. It also has the strictest requirements — and the gap between shelf-stable snacks and frozen goods is much bigger than most first-time importers expect.

Three very different categories

People say "Korean food imports" as if it is one thing. For customs, FDA and your freight cost, it is three.

If this is your first import, start shelf-stable. Ramyeon and snacks forgive the mistakes that frozen goods punish.

The FDA sequence

Food is regulated by the Philippine FDA under Republic Act 9711, and there are two layers you must clear in order:

• License to Operate (LTO) for your company as a food importer or distributor.
• Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) for each individual product.

Note the difference from cosmetics: food is registered with a CPR, which is a heavier process than the notification cosmetics use. Every flavour variant is generally its own product. A range of eight ramyeon flavours is eight registrations, not one.

Meat, seafood and the extra layer

Processed meat and seafood are not just FDA matters. Depending on the product they can also involve the Bureau of Animal Industry or the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, along with veterinary or health certification from the Korean side and an import clearance obtained before the goods arrive.

This is the category where shipments get stopped. Do not treat frozen dumplings containing pork as equivalent to a carton of snacks — the paperwork is a different order of magnitude.

Labelling

Korean domestic packaging is designed for Korean shelves. Philippine rules require the product name, net content, complete ingredients, allergen declaration, manufacturer details, importer name and address, and clear manufacturing and expiry dates.

You have two options: ask the exporter to produce export-market packaging, which usually requires a meaningful order size, or apply compliant labels locally before distribution. Budget for the second if you are starting small.

Duty: Form AK and the bilateral route

Korea is not an ASEAN member, so Form D does not apply. Instead:

• ASEAN–Korea FTA using Form AK. Normal-track goods reached zero duty for the Philippines some years ago, but food frequently sits on sensitive lists where the reduction is partial rather than complete.
• The bilateral Philippines–Korea agreement, which runs alongside AKFTA with its own schedule.

Agricultural and processed food products are exactly where the two schedules are most likely to differ. Have your broker check both against your HS code — the gap can be several percentage points, and on food volumes that is real money.

As always, the certificate must be issued in Korea before the goods ship. It cannot be produced afterwards.

Shelf life is a commercial decision, not a detail

Food arriving with a short remaining shelf life attracts scrutiny and is difficult to sell through distribution. Agree with your supplier, in writing, a minimum remaining shelf life on arrival — and remember that sea freight consumes weeks of it.

For products with a short window, the freight mode question changes: air becomes defensible where it would be extravagant for snacks. We compare the two here.

Related reading

• Shipping from Korea to the Philippines
• How to import Korean skincare and cosmetics
• Importing Vietnamese coffee and food products
• Sea freight vs air freight: which should you use?

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