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Japanese dessert makers are targeting Korea, and imports have nearly quadrupled

Japan's dessert brands are launching new products in Korea first, and imports of Japanese sweets rose 290.5% in two years, customs data show.

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A display of Japanese packaged sweets and snacks on a shelf in a South Korean store.
Image: 동아일보

Japan is known as a dessert powerhouse, and its food companies now have their eyes on Korea. One dessert maker with an 80-year history has even launched a new product in Korea before Japan. Several snacks that have been popular in Japan for decades are also arriving on Korean shelves one after another.

The numbers back it up. According to Korea's customs service, imports of key Japanese desserts (sugar confectionery, chocolate preparations, bakery items and ice cream) grew from $21.51 million in 2023 to $84.01 million last year. That is a 290.5% jump in two years. Volume rose 221.2%, from 2,348 tonnes to 7,542 tonnes.

The trend is still going. From January to September this year, imports reached $70.27 million, up 13.3% from $62.03 million a year earlier. Volume grew 12.0% to 6,270 tonnes.

Japanese dessert brands have entered Korea before. This time, analysts say, the difference is that K-food's global popularity has made the Korean market more influential, so Japanese companies see Korea as a strategic base for expanding abroad.

#japanese desserts#south korea#food imports#k-food#snacks
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Japanese dessert makers expand into Korea · 2 updates

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  1. South Korean food exports hit record highs on ramen and snack demand
  2. Japanese dessert makers are targeting Korea, and imports have nearly quadrupled

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