Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the seventh Korea–China FTA Joint Committee in Beijing on June 25, 2026, with China International Trade Representative Li Chenggang. The Korean delegation, led by Minister Yeo, included officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST). 

The two sides reviewed the implementation status of the Korea–China FTA, now in its 12th year. They also discussed key areas for improvement raised by the committees on customs and rules of origin, technical barriers to trade (TBT), intellectual property rights, and economic cooperation.

Streamlining Origin Certification Procedures for Businesses

Korea and China agreed to introduce self-certification of origin by approved exporters and update product-specific rules of origin (PSRs) to facilitate Korean companies’ use of the FTA.

Under the approved exporter system, customs authorities recognize exporters that are qualified to certify the origin of goods. Approved exporters can then issue certificates of origin themselves or obtain them through a simplified process. The system will streamline origin certification procedures for about 6,000 Korean companies and reduce time and costs. The two sides will also update the FTA’s product-specific rules of origin from HS 2012 to HS 2022. The update is expected to address a recurring mismatch: FTA certificates of origin are based on HS 2012, while import and export declarations use HS 2022. Aligning the two is expected to make customs clearance and origin certification smoother for businesses.

Korea and China also reviewed TBT affecting key industries, including portable batteries, electrical and electronic products, and cosmetics. They discussed more flexible regulatory approaches to improve market access for businesses, including broader recognition of test reports. China also agreed to send an investment delegation to Saemangeum in the second half of 2026 to explore investment opportunities. Beyond trade in goods, the two countries will continue to use the FTA to discuss emerging trade issues, including supply chain stabilization and digital transformation, in response to changes in the global industrial and trade environment.

Expanding Cultural Content Cooperation and Accelerating Services and Investment Negotiations

The two chief delegates exchanged information on current intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements, including the illegal online distribution of Korean content, and agreed to expand cooperation on enforcement and protection. Korea stressed the need to expand legal distribution channels for Korean cultural content in China and discussed ways to expand the market for legally distributed cultural content through follow-up negotiations on services and investment. Korea also proposed establishing a joint Korea–China IPR cooperation body, tentatively named Korea–China IP Action, to continue expert-level discussions on stronger enforcement of content-related IPR.

Following the Joint Committee, the two sides held a separate small-group meeting to discuss advancing follow-up negotiations on services and investment. Korea and China agreed to accelerate consultations on key issues, reflecting the two leaders’ January agreement to seek meaningful progress in 2026.

Supporting Korean Companies’ Market Entry in China by Expanding Consumer Goods and Industrial Cooperation

During his visit to China, Minister Yeo also supported Korean consumer goods’ entry into the Chinese market and promoted broader industrial cooperation. He visited Tianjin Port, the largest logistics hub in northern China, and discussed ways to use Tianjin’s sea-rail transport network to help Korean consumer goods reach inland China, Mongolia, and Central Asia.

For industrial cooperation, Minister Yeo visited Zhongguancun, one of China’s leading innovation clusters, and met with digital technology companies and platform service providers to discuss expanding cooperation. In Tianjin, he held a roundtable with Korean electronics and chemicals companies operating in China, and heard about their key business developments and business difficulties.