Australia’s food and wine group returns to South Korea
The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group will make its first return visit later this month when it heads to South Korea for its eighth Taste the Wonders of Australia campaign.
The Collaboration Group, which includes Meat and Livestock Australia, along with Hort Innovation, Dairy Australia, Wine Australia and Seafood Industry Australia, aims to deepen commercial relationships with key partners in trade, retail and foodservice, reinforcing South Korea as a priority export destination for Australia’s premium food and beverages.
South Korea is one of Australia’s most significant trade partners, with a population of more than 50 million and dense urban centres.
Two-way trade has nearly doubled since the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) commenced in 2014, rising from $33 billion in 2013 to $71 billion in 2023. For agriculture, South Korea is Australia’s third largest market for exports, worth an estimated $4.2 billion in 2024-25.
In 2024, South Korea was Australia’s third largest beef export destination behind the USA and Japan. Australia is South Korea’s number two supplier of imported beef by volume and dominates sheep meat imports.
Meat & Livestock Australia Regional Manager for Japan and Korea Travis Brown said South Korea is a vital market for Australian meat.
"South Korea is a cornerstone market for Australian red meat, valued at nearly A$2.4 billion and offering strong demand for premium beef, lamb, and goat products,” Mr Brown said.
“Our goal is to build on this momentum by deepening relationships and ensuring Australian red meat remains the preferred choice for Korean consumers.”
Dairy Australia Sustainable International Trade Senior Manager Catherine Taylor said South Korea’s appetite for innovation makes it a valuable market for new products and ingredients.
“Cafe culture and product innovation are remarkable in Korea – it sets the trend in the region. Australian ingredients are also used in Korean-made goods exported across Asia, extending the reach of our agriculture even further,” she said.
The market activation in Seoul on February 25 and 26 will feature a Roundtable with industry, trade and government representatives, food and wine workshops presented by renowned Korean chefs and educators, a media conference and a Taste the Wonders of Australia Gala Dinner. It’s a format that has proven extremely successful for the group working together as Team Australia under the Nation Brand.
Since the Collaboration Group started its market access program in 2022, it has delivered in-market activations in Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia.
Over the past three years, the group has met with more than 1,450 government and trade representatives, leveraging the export capability of each sector to drives market access, expand commercial networks and supports long-term growth for Australian producers.
The investment by the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group is supported by Agriculture Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grants, with a $500,000 for the first four export market destinations in 2022-24, and a second grant of $600,000 to continue the program in 2025-26.
