Seoul: South Korea's imports of fresh fruits hit a record high last year, data showed Sunday, amid poor harvests caused by climate change and rising demand.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the country's imports of 12 kinds of fresh fruits amounted to US$1.45 billion in 2024, marking a 20.1 percent increase from the previous year. This figure surpassed the previous record set in 2018, when fruit imports reached $1.33 billion. The fruits in question include bananas, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, cherries, and kiwis.
The rise in imports was attributed to a supply shortage resulting from unfavorable weather conditions that affected domestic harvests, leading to increased fruit prices. In response to the rising demand and to control inflation, the government has reduced tariffs on fruit imports.
A Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) official noted that fruit imports are expected to continue rising due to declining domestic production, which is impacted by weather conditions and a decrease in cultivation areas.
In its latest report, the institute projected that total imports of fruits, including frozen varieties, will increase by 6.8 percent on-year to 817,000 tons in the current year.