Shipping to South Korea
South Korea has traditionally been an attractive marketplace for U.S. businesses. A recent trade agreement makes it even more appealing. On March 15, 2012 the free-trade agreement (FTA) between the U.S. and South Korea took effect, making it the first FTA between the U.S. and a major Asian economy.
With the implementation of the FTA between the U.S. and South Korea, about 80 percent of industrial and consumer U.S. exports to South Korea will become duty-free, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. By 2017 nearly 95 percent of the bilateral trade in consumer and industrial products will become duty-free, and by 2022 most remaining tariffs will be eliminated. With these changes, U.S. businesses may find their products more competitive with the same or comparable products currently traded or developed in South Korea.
ShowInternational Shipping Services to South Korea
- Your Shipping Options
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FedEx offers you a choice: premium services when timing is urgent and economy services when reliability and savings are most important. Take advantage of our most popular FedEx® services for shipping to South Korea.1
International Service Transit Time Transit Time U.S. to S. Korea S. Korea to U.S. FedEx International Priority® 2 to 3 business days 1 business day FedEx International Priority® Freight 3 to 4 business days 1 business day FedEx International Economy® 4 to 5 business days 3 business days FedEx International Economy® Freight 5 to 6 business days 3 business days
1 For additional service options, see the international shipping services chart.
We also offer two flat-rate packaging options for your FedEx International Priority® shipments: the FedEx® 10kg Box and the FedEx® 25kg Box. These flat-rate shipping boxes are free and available at FedEx Express locations, including FedEx World Service Center® locations and FedEx Office® Print and Ship Centers. Learn more about our flat-rate shipping options.
FedEx in South Korea
Our infrastructure gives your business access to South Korean customers and suppliers. With country headquarters in Seoul, FedEx began Korean operations in 1988 and has a key gateway at Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s largest and one of the world’s busiest airports in freight and cargo traffic. We operate more than 40 flights weekly into and out of South Korea, ensuring your packages arrive on time. FedEx flies the Boeing 777 Freighter direct from Memphis to Incheon International Airport, providing time-definite service for your shipments. And, when it comes to expanding your global business with confidence and reliability, FedEx AsiaOne — our unparalleled overnight delivery network in Asia — is second to none. Our dedicated network, with more than 230 intra-Asia flights per week, provides express service between 22 key Asian cities. FedEx Express now delivers documents and packages from the U.S., Canada and select markets in Latin America to Seoul, South Korea, in just 2 to 3 business days. We also offer the fastest freight shipping from the U.S., Canada and Latin America to Seoul.
ShowTips for Shipping to South Korea
- Document Assistance
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Every country has its own customs requirements and shipping specifications. We’ve simplified international shipping with FedEx® Electronic Trade Documents (ETD). By automating the preparation and flow of international documents, ETD saves you money while ensuring on-time delivery of shipments to South Korea. The required documents are country-specific, with prompts to help you prepare everything needed for a shipment to South Korea and other international destinations.
Common Documents Description Air Waybill A shipping label that must accompany all international shipments. Can be created with an electronic shipping solution, such as FedEx Ship Manager® — or completed manually. Electronic Export Information (EEI) Formerly known as the Shipper’s Export Declaration, the EEI must be filed with shipments from the U.S., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to foreign destinations. Connect with the federal Automated Export System and submit the required information using the FedEx Ship Manager solution. Using FedEx Export AgentFile®, you can authorize FedEx to file an EEI on your behalf. A filing fee and certain limitations apply. Commercial Invoice The main document used by customs officials for control, valuation and duty determination. Serves as the basis for all other documents covering the shipment. Necessary for all shipments with a value of at least US$1 and relating to commercial transactions, regardless of the value. Must be in English or accompanied by a translation. Required details include the buyer and seller, a detailed description of the goods, quantity, purchase price or fair market value, terms of the sale, and the date. Should show freight, insurance, commission and other charges as separate items. Pro Forma Invoice Acts as a preliminary invoice, presenting the same information as the final invoice without claiming payment. Enables the end purchaser to apply for letters of credit, import licenses or foreign exchange allocation. Packing List Supplies shipment data, including the number and types of items being shipped. Also documents the weight and volume of your shipment — helpful information for reserving space. Certificate of Origin Verifies the country in which the product was manufactured. Required by certain foreign countries for tariff purposes. Must be validated and notarized by a local chamber of commerce.
To avoid delays, all documents must be correct and consistent. The air waybill and Commercial Invoice require some of the same information:
- "Consignee" is the recipient, the person to whom a shipment is being sent.
- “Shipper” is the sender, the person with whom the shipment originates.
- The value to declare for customs purposes is the price paid or payable for the goods, including any selling commissions, assists, royalties, packing and proceeds. It does not include freight and insurance charges.
- The Schedule B number, or Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code, is the commodity classification number. For the correct number, go to FedEx® Global Trade Manager or the U.S. Census Bureau website — or call the U.S. Census Bureau at 1.800.549.0595, option 2.
- A description of the contents includes the following details about the product:
- What the product is
- What material it’s made of
- Schedule B or HTS code
- Intended use
- Country of manufacture
- Parts or serial numbers (if applicable)
- Quantity and unit of measure
- Value, per unit and in total
- Research your market thoroughly. The marketplace, economy, customs and laws in South Korea are quite different from those you may be accustomed to in the U.S.
- Ensure your project is economically feasible. U.S. businesses should be especially thorough about revenue projections when entering the South Korea marketplace.
- Know your associates. Get to know your business contact in South Korea through your legal counsel, in addition to doing your own research.
- Establish a very specific contract. With any business associate who resides in another country, it’s a good idea to employ even more detailed terms and conditions than you might with a U.S. associate.
- Understand your payment terms. South Korea’s payment customs differ from those in the U.S. in many ways, so include very specific payment terms to ensure you are paid in full and on time.
- Protect your intellectual property rights. U.S. businesses should not yet rely on the same protection of their intellectual property that they enjoy in the U.S. Your best strategy is to protect yourself from infringement before you encounter a problem.
- Make sure the goods are not prohibited. Check the list of import prohibitions for South Korea.
Support Services for Shipping to South Korea
FedEx Resources
| If you need to: | Then go to or call: |
| Estimate duties and taxes | FedEx® Global Trade Manager |
| See restricted or prohibited items for South Korea | South Korea country profile on FedEx Global Trade Manager |
| Get tips for describing shipment contents | International Document Overview on FedEx International Shipping site |
| Get regulatory assistance | FedEx International Regulatory Consulting 1.800.851.3336 |
| Get international shipping assistance | FedEx International Customer Support 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 (and say "international services") |
| Find general support | FedEx Customer Support |
Helpful Links
- Korea Customs Service: up-to-date information from the customs administration for South Korea.
- Korea Environment & Resources Corporation: the central agency for the green development of South Korea, including water quality, recycling and other environmental issues.
- Korea International Trade Association: the country’s largest business association, providing information on the Korean economy and connecting foreign enterprises with Korean firms.
- Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency: introduces foreign buyers to appropriate business partners in Korea through exhibitions and product shows in strategic overseas markets.
- U.S. Commercial Service: trade specialists in more than 100 U.S. cities, providing counsel and a variety of products and services to assist U.S. businesses with exporting.
- Office of the United States Trade Representative: offers U.S.-Korea trade facts, plus information on the trade agreement with South Korea.
- Why Your Business Belongs in South Korea: a FedEx-delivered article on American Express OPEN Forum, an online community geared for small-business owners.
FedEx Tools
These tools can help simplify the management and processing of your international shipments to South Korea.
| Tools | Features |
| FedEx Ship Manager® at fedex.com | Complete forms, print labels, track the status of shipments, get rates and transit times, and manage billing and claims. |
| FedEx InSight® | Proactively monitor all of your inbound and outbound international shipments without a tracking number. |
| FedEx® Global Trade Manager | Find international documents, estimate duties, taxes and landed cost, and more. You can also manage the documentation process with Product Profiles, which lets you create, store and edit information on up to 500 commodities. |
| FedEx® Electronic Trade Documents | Automate the document submission process, save time and money, and enjoy greater peace of mind. |
