Import Tunisian olive oil into South Korea

Q: What customs duty does Tunisian olive oil pay in South Korea?

Absent a preferential agreement, the oil enters at the MFN duty of around 8% . This duty adds to the landed cost: check the applicable rate before any firm quote.

Q: Is there a preferential agreement between Tunisia and South Korea?

No. There is no preferential agreement between Tunisia and South Korea for olive oil. The MFN duty applies, and the certificate of origin is a standard one — it does not provide a preferential reduction like the EUR.1 in Europe.

Q: Do you need a certificate of origin for South Korea?

A standard certificate of origin accompanies the declaration and serves traceability , but it does not open a duty reduction (no preferential agreement). It remains recommended for a clean file and to reassure the importer.

Q: What is the importer's notification in Korea?

It is the import declaration / notification for foodstuffs to the competent Korean authorities, which is the importer's responsibility , with a documentary check and, where applicable, analyses. A consistent COA and compliant parameters secure this step.

Q: Is the Korean market a premium market?

Yes. South Korea is a premium market , attentive to quality and health , where olive oil belongs to high-end cuisine. There you play the aromatic finesse, traceability and origin , not the floor price.

Q: Under which customs code is olive oil classified in South Korea?

Under HS code 1509 : 1509.20 (extra virgin), 1509.30 (virgin), 1509.40 (other virgin oils). Ensure the HS code is consistent across the customs declaration, the invoice and the COA.

Q: What is the most common entry port in South Korea?

Busan is the main entry point (also Incheon) from Radès. Bulk arrives in flexitank or IBC for local rebottling, or packaged product in bottles/cans. Sea transit is measured in weeks — to be confirmed depending on the freight forwarder.

Q: Is the required quality strict in South Korea?

Yes. A premium market, Korea values analytical consistency (acidity ≤ 0.80% for an extra virgin, peroxide, panel) and batch-after-batch regularity . A COA consistent with the label is essential to a clean import file.

Q: Can you display "organic" on a Tunisian oil in South Korea?

Not automatically. Our oil is certified organic by Ecocert (EU 2018/848) , but the organic claim on the Korean market depends on the certification and equivalence requirements specific to Korea . Failing that, organic oil sells as premium conventional .

Logistics corridor

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Usual entry requirements

Certificate of analysis (COA) per lot
Market-compliant labelling
Certificate of origin
Organic certification if claimed

How do you import Tunisian olive oil into South Korea?

To import Tunisian olive oil into South Korea, your oil enters under HS code 1509, through the major port of Busan (also Incheon). Tunisia does not benefit from a preferential agreement with South Korea: the oil enters at the MFN (most-favoured-nation) duty, in the region of 8%. The certificate of origin here is a standard one — it does not open a preferential reduction like the EUR.1 in Europe, but it remains useful for traceability and the declaration.

The real Korean challenge is not so much the duty as the positioning. South Korea is a premium market, demanding on quality, where olive oil is associated with health and high-end cuisine. Compliance runs through the importer's notification to the competent authorities on the entry of foodstuffs. Zitouna Export delivers in bulk (flexitank, IBC, drums) and private label, with a COA per batch.

Import data — South Korea (olive oil)

Values dated July 2026, to be re-verified before any firm quote.

Item	Data	Note
Typical entry port	Busan (also Incheon)	Sea route from Radès
HS code	1509.20 (extra virgin), 1509.30 (virgin), 1509.40 (other virgin oils)	HS 2022 revision structure
Preferential agreement	None with Tunisia	No duty reduction on this basis
MFN customs duty	~8%	Reference rate — to be verified
Certificate of origin	Standard	Useful for traceability, not preferential
Importer notification	With the authorities competent for food imports	Importer's responsibility
Positioning	Premium / quality	Market sensitive to health and premiumisation

No preferential agreement: the MFN duty applies. Absent an agreement between Tunisia and South Korea, the oil enters at the ~8% MFN duty. The certificate of origin is a standard one: it does not erase this duty as an EUR.1 would in the EU. Factor this duty into your landed cost from the quote stage.

The Korean lever is quality, not the floor price. A premium market attentive to health and finesse, Korea values a low-acidity extra virgin with a clear aromatic profile. The Tunisian raw-material cost advantage there funds quality and positioning; it is not passed on as a discount.

Calculate your total landed cost with our customs duty checker and the price & margin simulator.

Customs & regulatory access

South Korea combines an MFN customs duty and a sanitary control on the import of foodstuffs. Two points structure access:

The customs duty. Without a Tunisia–Korea preferential agreement, olive oil enters at the MFN rate of around 8%. This duty adds to the landed cost and must be built into the quote. The standard certificate of origin accompanies the declaration but does not open a preferential reduction.
The importer's notification. The entry of foodstuffs into Korea goes through an import notification / declaration to the competent authorities, which is the importer's responsibility, generally coupled with a documentary check and, where applicable, analyses. A consistent COA and compliant parameters secure this step.

The operational message: the MFN duty is predictable and to be budgeted, and quality/sanitary compliance is the real guarantee of smooth entry on a premium market that checks what it buys.

Required documents & certificates

The Korean file combines customs and sanitary import compliance:

Commercial invoice + packing list
Bill of lading (B/L) by sea
Certificate of origin — standard — useful for traceability and the declaration (non-preferential)
Import notification / declaration for food, filed by the importer with the competent authorities — an entry document
Certificate of analysis (COA) per batch, IOC-accredited laboratory (mandatory for Tunisian exports) — must justify the "extra virgin" category and remain consistent with the label
Health certificate per import requirements
Compliant Korean-language label (see dedicated section) — validated with the importer before printing

Generate your complete file, tailored to South Korea, with our export document checklist.

Labelling & regulations (Korean)

Korean labelling is strict and country-specific — to be handled with the importer before printing:

Korean mandatory on the consumer label (product name, category, origin, net quantity, best-before date, contact details of the importer in Korea).
Exact category. The "extra virgin" claim must be consistent with the COA (acidity ≤ 0.80%, panel). A discrepancy between analysis and label is grounds for a block.
Origin "Tunisia" clearly stated, consistent with the certificate of origin.
Best-before date and batch clearly stated, in Korean format.
Contact details of the Korean importer / distributor mandatory.

Check a compliant mock-up with our label checker.

Buying culture & expectations of Korean buyers

South Korea is a mature premium market, where olive oil is established in high-end cuisine and associated with a health and wellness story. What sets this market apart:

Quality comes first. The Korean buyer values analytical consistency (acidity, peroxide, panel) and batch-after-batch regularity. A Tunisian extra virgin with low acidity (≤ 0.80%) and a clear aromatic profile — mild Chemlali, fiery polyphenol-rich Chetoui — has a real story to defend.
Health and naturalness sell. The Korean market is sensitive to the health story (polyphenols, Mediterranean diet) and to the traceability of origin. It is favourable ground for a well-told Tunisian-origin product.
Brand and channel matter. Modern retail, e-commerce and importer brands structure the market. Tunisian bulk is valued when rebottled locally or as private label in Korean format.
Price is not the only lever. A premium market, Korea does not systematically seek the floor price: play the aromatic finesse, traceability and origin. The Tunisian raw-material cost gap funds quality; it is not passed on as a discount.
Compliance reassures. A clean import notification, a consistent COA and a compliant label reassure the importer as much as the product.

Buyer side (KR importer/distributor): prepare the food import notification, require a COA consistent with the label, and factor the ~8% MFN duty into your landed price. Seller/exporter side: treat Korea as a premium market — bet on consistent quality, the health/origin story and careful packaging, and budget the MFN duty from the quote stage. Get export training.

Logistics

The oil ships from Radès by sea to Busan, Korea's main port (also Incheon). Transit is measured in weeks (to be confirmed depending on freight forwarder and rotation). Bulk travels in flexitank (~22,000 L, 1 per 20' container), in IBC (1000 L, ×20) or in drums (200/216 L) for local rebottling; packaged product ships in bottles or cans under a Korean label.

Two logistics points to watch:

Distance and freight. Korea is a distant market from the Mediterranean: sea freight weighs on the landed cost, on top of the ~8% MFN duty. To be budgeted carefully from the quote stage.
The notification precedes market placement. The importer's import notification must be anticipated to avoid any block on arrival.

For a first order, FOB Radès is the standard; CIF Busan delivers a port landed price (freight + insurance included). Estimate the landed cost with our price & margin simulator.

Organic box — a demanding premium

Korea values the premium and naturalness, and organic reinforces the positioning there. Our oil is available in Ecocert certified organic (EU 2018/848). For an organic claim on the Korean market, you must check the certification and equivalence requirements specific to South Korea: EU certification alone is not necessarily sufficient to display the Korean organic logo. Tunisian terroir — arid climate, low pest pressure — is naturally suited to organic, a strong storytelling argument on a market sensitive to origin and health.

See our organic olive oil in bulk.

Your tools to import into South Korea

Customs duty checker — MFN duty ~8%, no preferential agreement, importer notification.
Price & margin simulator — total landed cost to the port of Busan.
Label checker — Korean, category, origin, COA/label consistency.
Export document checklist — certificate of origin + import notification + COA, tailored to South Korea.

FAQ — Importing Tunisian olive oil into South Korea

What customs duty does Tunisian olive oil pay in South Korea?

Absent a preferential agreement, the oil enters at the MFN duty of around 8%. This duty adds to the landed cost: check the applicable rate before any firm quote.

Is there a preferential agreement between Tunisia and South Korea?

No. There is no preferential agreement between Tunisia and South Korea for olive oil. The MFN duty applies, and the certificate of origin is a standard one — it does not provide a preferential reduction like the EUR.1 in Europe.

Do you need a certificate of origin for South Korea?

A standard certificate of origin accompanies the declaration and serves traceability, but it does not open a duty reduction (no preferential agreement). It remains recommended for a clean file and to reassure the importer.

What is the importer's notification in Korea?

It is the import declaration / notification for foodstuffs to the competent Korean authorities, which is the importer's responsibility, with a documentary check and, where applicable, analyses. A consistent COA and compliant parameters secure this step.

Is the Korean market a premium market?

Yes. South Korea is a premium market, attentive to quality and health, where olive oil belongs to high-end cuisine. There you play the aromatic finesse, traceability and origin, not the floor price.

Under which customs code is olive oil classified in South Korea?

Under HS code 1509: 1509.20 (extra virgin), 1509.30 (virgin), 1509.40 (other virgin oils). Ensure the HS code is consistent across the customs declaration, the invoice and the COA.

What is the most common entry port in South Korea?

Busan is the main entry point (also Incheon) from Radès. Bulk arrives in flexitank or IBC for local rebottling, or packaged product in bottles/cans. Sea transit is measured in weeks — to be confirmed depending on the freight forwarder.

Is the required quality strict in South Korea?

Yes. A premium market, Korea values analytical consistency (acidity ≤ 0.80% for an extra virgin, peroxide, panel) and batch-after-batch regularity. A COA consistent with the label is essential to a clean import file.

Can you display "organic" on a Tunisian oil in South Korea?

Not automatically. Our oil is certified organic by Ecocert (EU 2018/848), but the organic claim on the Korean market depends on the certification and equivalence requirements specific to Korea. Failing that, organic oil sells as premium conventional.

Can you do private label for South Korea?

Yes. We supply in bulk or packaged under a compliant Korean label (Korean, category consistent with the COA, origin, importer contact details). The premium Korean market is receptive to brands with a strong origin story. See our private-label offer.

Which incoterm should you choose for South Korea?

For a first order, FOB Radès is the standard: you control freight up to shipment. CIF Busan delivers a port landed price (freight + insurance included). We reserve DAP/DDP for trusted clients. Estimate the landed cost with our price & margin simulator.

Request your quote for South Korea

Volume, format (bulk flexitank / IBC / drum, or packaged under a Korean label), category (extra virgin, virgin), incoterm (FOB Radès or CIF Busan), private label or your own brand, organic or conventional: tell us your need, and we'll send you a dated quote with a reference sample, a consistent COA and a clear note on the MFN duty, the standard certificate of origin and the import notification.

Indicative guide price: from around 3.80 €/kg FOB Radès in bulk, excluding duties, freight and local taxes.

Request a free quote — drawer pre-filled "Destination: South Korea".

Lead magnet: download our South Korea country sheet (MFN duty ~8%, no preferential agreement, standard certificate of origin, import notification, Korean labelling, premium/quality market, entry ports).