The Korea International Trade Association said on the 16th that it signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with KOTRA, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) and the Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) to strengthen support for exporters entering halal markets. The signing took place at the Trade Tower in Seoul's Gangnam district.
Attendees included Chung Hee-chul, head of the trade association's Trade Promotion Division; Kim Kwan-mook, head of KOTRA's Economic Security and Trade Cooperation Division; Jeon Ki-chan, executive director for food exports at aT; Shin Joong-ha, head of KTR's Global Division; and Kim Young-chan, head of KFRI's Food Industry Research Division.
The agreement was drawn up in response to tightening halal certification requirements and related regulations in major markets such as Indonesia. The aim is to pool the capabilities of each organization so exporters can move smoothly from gathering certification and regulatory information through to entering the market.
The participating agencies plan to link halal-related information and support programs that they have each provided separately until now. The goal is to build a comprehensive cooperation framework that lets companies find and use specialized services — testing and analysis, certification support, overseas market information and marketing — in one place.
Specifically, the agencies will exchange information on halal certification systems and market trends by country, connect each organization's information and support programs through a comprehensive halal information platform, jointly identify difficulties exporters face in obtaining halal certification and entering these markets, and provide linked access to specialized services.
The trade association said it plans to continue exchanging information with the partner agencies and to develop joint projects that upgrade the support system for halal market entry, lowering the barriers exporters face when moving into these markets.