Ramyeon set to cross the $400 million export mark

Exports of ramyeon are sure to exceed $400 million this year, a state food agency reported Wednesday.

Shipments of ramyeon totaled $385 million as of the end of November, up 11.2 percent from the same period last year, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade.

The figure is already more than the total for 2018.

Given the sum so far, the monthly average exports are $35 million, suggesting that exports will $400 million by end of this year. South Korea broke the previous threshold of $300 million just last year.

Ramyeon remains popular in the United States and in Southeast Asia, while China’s boycott of Korean products due diplomatic disagreements has weakened, according to the agency.

Related data showed Korea exported $8.56 billion worth of agricultural and fisheries products in the first 11 months of the year, a gain of 2.6 percent from last year.

By country, exports to Japan were the highest, at $1.94 billion, followed by $1.38 billion to China, $980 million to the United States and $530 million to Vietnam.

The figures indicate a 0.3 percent fall for Japan but increases of 1.2 percent for China, 0.2 percent for the United States and 1 percent for Vietnam.

Exports of farm and livestock products rose 2.4 percent to $6.37 billion, and those of fisheries goods were up 3.1 percent to $2.2 billion.

Yonhap