KITA connects 85 Korean consumer goods companies with around 120 retail buyers in LA; over 400 consultations in three days

[Financial News] The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) held an exhibition and business-matching event in Los Angeles, U.S., for the first time, connecting 85 Korean consumer goods companies with around 120 North American retail buyers. Participating companies held more than 400 export consultations over three days with buyers including H Mart, Sally Beauty and Mexico’s Del Sol, while around 16,000 local visitors took part in beauty and food experiences and K-pop events. Building on its success in the North American market, where K-beauty exports to the U.S. are growing, KITA plans to expand its export marketing support to Latin America.
On the 25th, KITA said it had held the “2026 LA K-Premium Consumer Goods Expo (KOREA EXPO LA 2026)” with Xporum at the Magic Box exhibition center in Los Angeles, U.S., from the 22nd (local time) through the 24th.
KITA described the event as a B2C-linked exhibition and business-matching event held annually in major cities overseas, including Tokyo, Paris and Jakarta. It was held in LA for the first time this year to target the growing North American market, after K-beauty exports to the U.S. rose by more than 40% year-on-year from January to September.
A total of 85 Korean companies seeking to enter the North American market took part, with 120 booths showcasing cosmetics, fashion, food, household goods and more. KITA Executive Director Jang Seok-min and South Korean Consul General in Los Angeles Jeong Kang attended the opening ceremony. LA Deputy Mayor Dilpreet Sidhu visited the exhibition and presented a certificate from the City of LA recognizing KITA’s contributions to economic and cultural exchanges between Korea and the U.S. and to expanding trade.
KITA also invited buyers with distribution networks across North America, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and supported one-to-one business matching. Around 120 buyers, including H Mart, a Korean American grocery chain; Sally Beauty Holdings, which has more than 4,000 beauty stores worldwide; and Del Sol, a major Mexican brick-and-mortar retail chain, held consultations with participating companies over the three days.
Fernanda Arriaga, a purchasing manager at Del Sol, said, “With the Korean Wave’s influence, demand for Korean consumer goods is steadily growing in Mexico, too. This was a great opportunity to look at and consider a range of products without having to travel to Korea.”
A B2C program for general consumers was also held alongside the event. Visitors tried skincare and color cosmetics, as well as functional anti-aging products, at a K-beauty makeup show. They also sampled K-food, including snacks, processed foods and street food, during chefs’ live cooking demonstrations and tastings. Other events included a fan meeting with singer Ailee, a drawing for K-pop idol albums and a cover dance competition.
KITA Executive Director Jang Seok-min said, “As the Korean Wave takes root as a consumer lifestyle, global demand is rapidly growing for Korean consumer goods across the board—not only food and cosmetics, but also fashion and home and lifestyle products.”
He added, “With the LA event as a springboard, we will expand our support for export marketing that leverages the Korean Wave to Latin America as well, helping companies generate tangible results.”
[email protected] Kim Dong-chan Reporter