The South Korean government, in collaboration with local Chinese authorities, will directly explain testing and certification standards for consumer goods such as cosmetics and clothing to domestic exporters. This initiative comes as South Korea's consumer goods exports to China rebounded in the first half of this year, marking the first increase in four and a half years. The aim is to lower local certification barriers and sustain the export recovery.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it will hold a 'China National Standards (GB) Briefing' in Shanghai on October 12, in partnership with the Shanghai Municipal Market Supervision Administration. GB standards define the quality and safety requirements for products distributed in China and are used for local product testing and certification.
The briefing will focus on certification standards in the clothing and cosmetics sectors, which are of high interest to exporters. Officials from the Shanghai Municipal Market Supervision Administration and local testing agencies will explain the GB standards for textiles, clothing, and cosmetics, as well as the testing and inspection systems, post-market management, and enforcement procedures.
Companies will have the opportunity to directly ask Chinese authorities about challenges they face, such as cosmetic labeling and ingredient testing, as well as safety tests for clothing fiber blends and the standards applied during market inspections.
This event is being held in conjunction with Shanghai Fashion Week, which runs from October 8 to 12, to facilitate interactions between fashion and beauty companies and buyers, and to help build networks among businesses.
In the first half of this year, South Korea's consumer goods exports to China reached $3.44 billion, an 8.7% increase from the previous year, marking a rebound after four and a half years. Notably, fashion items saw a significant rise, with exports totaling $450 million, a 33.4% increase.
The government had previously identified overseas certification as a major non-tariff barrier for exporters and developed a comprehensive support strategy in June. Plans include increasing the number of overseas testing and certification types that can be issued domestically from 212 to 500 by 2028, and expanding the number of companies receiving consulting support for overseas certification to 2,000 by 2027. Additionally, certification support desks will be established at trade offices in the G20 countries.
Baek Jun-hyung, Director of the Trade Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, "It is important to address companies' questions regarding local standards and procedures to expand our consumer goods exports to China. We will continue to communicate with local governments and relevant authorities to provide practical support in resolving trade challenges for businesses."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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