K-Food exporters target Argentina as import barriers ease

Market opening creates an entry point

Argentina is emerging as a potential South American growth market for Korean food brands as import restrictions ease and consumer interest generated by K-dramas and K-pop spreads into everyday purchases. Korea Post reported strong attendance at a Korean consumer-goods promotion in the Abasto shopping mall in Buenos Aires, where visitors sampled or examined dumplings, snacks, instant noodles and ice cream.

The commercial opportunity remains small in absolute export terms but is expanding quickly. Korean agricultural and food exports to Argentina reached $9.6 million in 2025, an increase of 87% from the previous year. Government data cited by Korea Post put Argentina’s food market at $61.7 billion in 2025 and forecast average annual growth of 8.3% over the following five years, taking it above $100 billion by 2031.

Retailers broaden Korean product listings

Korean snacks, noodles and frozen foods are gaining distribution through major chains including Coto, Jumbo and Carrefour. Korea Post attributed the shift to a combination of stronger interest in Korean culture, improving macroeconomic conditions and relaxed import controls after years in which protectionist policies made entry difficult for foreign food suppliers.

Argentina has also provided an unusually visible cultural platform for Korean food. In 2023, it became the first country outside Korea to designate November 22 as a national Kimchi Day. Consumer demand is developing first around accessible products such as snacks and ice cream, while interest in ramen and gimbap is being reinforced by their appearance in Korean television programs.

Export strategy extends beyond Korean restaurants

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, included Argentina in their agricultural and food market-development program for the first time. KOTRA’s Buenos Aires office supported products from 34 Korean small and medium-sized food companies through brand promotion, buyer consultations and local sales campaigns. Organizers estimated that combined online and offline promotion reached more than 5 million people.

The campaign also targeted food-service buyers. KOTRA invited representatives from 10 restaurant and franchise businesses to a cooking show at HAN, described by Korea Post as South America’s first Michelin-starred restaurant. The menus incorporated Korean fermented condiments and kimchi sauce into locally popular dishes, seeking recurring ingredient demand beyond Korean restaurants. Korean beverage suppliers pursued a similar route at Argentina’s largest wine exhibition, where around 1,000 bartenders, importers and distributors encountered soju and traditional Korean alcoholic drinks. For exporters, the next test is whether cultural curiosity can be converted into stable distribution, restaurant use and repeat purchases.