‘Pesticide barrier’ that blocked K-food exports dismantled... RDA sets 111 import-tolerance limits

[Financial News] Research by the Rural Development Administration has eased the non-tariff ‘pesticide’ barriers imposed by importing countries, which are seen as an obstacle to K-food exports. The agency has consulted with importing countries and established 111 new import-tolerance (IT) limits for pesticide residues to address cases in which customs clearance was denied or products were discarded locally because of pesticides used by Korean farms. These limits are agreed in advance with importing-country governments to prevent agricultural exports from being held up at customs because of pesticides used in Korea. The more limits are established with more countries, the shorter customs clearance times for exported agricultural products and the fewer customs violations.
 On the 28th, Seong Je-hun, director of the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, announced the results of the agency’s pesticide safety management efforts at Government Complex Sejong. “If pesticide residues exceed an importing country’s limit, or pesticides with no established limit are detected, shipments may be denied customs clearance or disposed of or returned locally. This causes losses for farmers and undermines the country’s credibility,” he said. “Since 2003, the RDA has been addressing pesticide limits as a non-tariff barrier to support exports. As a result, customs violations fell from 49 in 2024 to 16 in 2025 and 9 as of September this year.”
 The RDA conducted research to expand the establishment of IT limits in consultation with importing countries, so farmers would have more pesticides they could use. Even pesticides registered in Korea cannot be used if the importing country has no corresponding limit. Meanwhile, Korean farmers struggle to control pests and diseases because they cannot use pesticides that could hinder exports. To remove these barriers, the RDA has consulted with importing countries including Japan and Taiwan and, to date, established 111 import-tolerance limits across 19 crops. These are the limits completed from earlier applications covering 151 cases across 20 crops.
 Director Seong said, “After a maximum residue limit for hexaconazole was established for peppers exported to Japan in September 2024, the requirement for 100% inspections was lifted, reducing customs clearance time from at least seven days to one or two days. As a result, export volume increased 33%, from 694 tonnes in 2023 to 928 tonnes in 2024.” He added, “Before a maximum residue limit for tetraniliprole was established for grapes exported to Taiwan, a total of 20 violations occurred, with losses estimated at about $920,000. However, since the limit was established in March 2025, there has not been a single additional violation.”
 The RDA has also distributed and expanded its ‘Guidelines for the Safe Use of Pesticides on Export Agricultural Products’ for farmers. The guidelines, which began in 2003 covering 32 pesticide types across 12 crops in six countries, now cover 86 types across 30 crops in 13 countries. New guidelines were developed and distributed to growers for strawberries and grapes exported to Thailand, persimmons exported to China, and Korean melons exported to Australia. Last year, export revenue from the three leading export items—grapes, strawberries and pears—reached $214.3 million, about 6.7 times the 2003 figure, when the pesticide safety guidelines were first introduced.


[email protected] Choi Yong-jun, agricultural affairs correspondent Reporter