South Korea nears EU beef clearance as CPTPP push raises farm market concerns

Five EU suppliers advance through sanitary review

South Korea is moving closer to admitting beef from five European Union countries, adding a new source of competitive pressure for domestic livestock producers. According to Nongmin Shinmun, sanitary and phytosanitary clearance procedures for beef from Germany, Poland, Spain, Belgium and Sweden are approaching their final stages as the government also moves toward membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Germany, Poland and Spain are at stage five of South Korea’s eight-stage beef import approval process, where authorities decide whether imports can be permitted. Belgium and Sweden are at stage four. Shipments cannot begin immediately, but a growing number of applicants are moving toward the remaining steps, including negotiations over import health requirements and their formal publication.

Polish and Spanish beef could be particularly competitive in foodservice and processing, where price and raw-material costs carry substantial weight. The Korea Rural Economic Institute said the immediate effect on an import structure dominated by the United States and Australia, or on the premium Hanwoo segment, would probably be limited. However, additional suppliers could influence market sentiment and procurement strategies for processing beef.

Study projects losses across livestock sectors

A recent Korea Rural Economic Institute report estimates that full-scale EU beef imports would reduce the production value of South Korea’s Hanwoo and other domestic beef cattle by an annual average of 2.9 billion–6.7 billion won against the baseline over the 2026–2035 period. Falling Hanwoo wholesale prices and a contraction in herd numbers would contribute to an estimated annual decline of 3.8 billion–8.8 billion won in total agricultural production value.

The impact would not necessarily stop at beef. Cheaper or more abundant beef could change consumer demand for substitute meats. The institute projects an average annual reduction of 700 million–1.5 billion won in pig production value and 100 million–300 million won in broiler production value.

Song Woo-jin, a research fellow at the institute, said imports from the five EU countries were unlikely to transform the US- and Australia-focused supply structure or the premium Hanwoo market rapidly. He nevertheless warned that the Hanwoo industry already faces declining herd numbers and rising production costs. During an economic slowdown or a period of higher Hanwoo prices, mid- and lower-priced EU processing beef could replace part of domestic demand.

CPTPP debate broadens the exposure

The parallel discussion over CPTPP accession raises wider questions for South Korean agriculture because membership can involve the elimination of high tariffs and an easing of quarantine barriers. Nongmin Shinmun pointed to the United Kingdom, where CPTPP membership took effect in December 2024. The UK National Farmers’ Union has expressed concern that accumulated competition from major agricultural exporters such as Australia and New Zealand could increase imports of cheaper farm products and expose local producers to goods made under different animal-welfare and environmental standards.

For South Korea, the policy challenge extends beyond border controls. Specialists cited by Nongmin Shinmun called for strict monitoring of livestock diseases and sanitary conditions in each EU member state, alongside support for differentiating Hanwoo through quality, ageing and branding. Seo Jin-kyo, head of the GSnJ Institute, argued that compensation tied to individual products cannot fully capture direct and indirect losses created by substitution between commodities. He called for a broader income-stabilisation framework covering products that experience significant price declines.