US tariff policy gives Ukraine a chance to return to the South Korean market

The US tariff policy gives Ukraine a chance to return to the South Korean market, providing 15-20% of the country’s needs for morning freshness in corn (1.5-2 mln tons of grain).

This was reported by Maksym Kharchenko, a grain market analyst at UkrAgroConsult, in his column in the magazine The Ukrainian Farmer.

According to him, South Korea imports about 10 mln tons of corn annually, traditionally purchasing it through tenders from the cheapest source. With the introduction of bilateral tariffs, the situation will change, the high price of American corn will make it expensive at tenders.

Ukraine has a chance to return to the number of suppliers. In 2019-2020, South Korea already imported volumes of Ukrainian corn when it was competitive in price. In this scenario, in the 2025/26 season, it is possible to forecast the supply of 1.5–2 mlnn tons of Ukrainian corn to South Korea (about 15–20% of their imports). The rest will be covered by Brazil and Argentina, which are traditionally strong in Asian markets,” noted Maksym Kharchenko.

In addition to corn, Korea may increase imports of feed wheat and barley from Ukraine, especially if the US is imposed with tariffs.

In general, according to the analyst, the trade war creates conditions for Ukraine to restore and strengthen its positions in the market of the Republic of Korea, which were previously held back only by logistical risks.