Korea and Türkiye Hold FTA Joint Committee Meeting to Address Import Restrictions and Customs Challenges
Government to Raise Concerns Over Import Restrictions on Korean Products
The government will hold a joint committee meeting to review the implementation status of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Korea and Türkiye and to discuss current trade issues. The meeting will address concerns over Türkiye's recent expansion of import restrictions on Korean products and seek solutions to customs clearance and certification challenges faced by Korean companies operating locally.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the 6th Korea-Türkiye FTA Joint Committee will be held in Ankara, Türkiye, from June 23 to 24 (local time). The Korean delegation will be led by Lee Minyoung, Acting Director-General for Trade Negotiation Policy, while the Turkish side will be headed by Hüsni Dilemre, Director-General for EU and International Agreements at the Ministry of Trade.
Türkiye serves as a geopolitical hub connecting Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, and bilateral trade between the two countries has steadily increased since the FTA came into effect in 2013. The trade volume between Korea and Türkiye more than doubled, from USD 5.22 billion in 2012 to a record high of USD 10.66 billion in 2025.
Korean exports to Türkiye rose by 99.7% during the same period, from USD 4.55 billion to USD 9.09 billion. Turkish exports to Korea increased by 133.3%, from USD 670 million to USD 1.57 billion.
Investment cooperation has also been expanding. As of December last year, the cumulative number of Korean investments in Türkiye stood at 1,176 cases, with a total investment amount of USD 4.59 billion. This figure is 38 times higher than the USD 120 million invested by Türkiye in Korea during the same period. The manufacturing sector accounted for 47% of Korean investments in Türkiye.
In particular, Korean companies such as Hyundai Motor and POSCO have established production bases in Türkiye to secure a foothold in the European market, thereby contributing to local production, employment, and export expansion. Korean materials and components are also being used in local companies' production processes, further strengthening supply chain linkages and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
At this joint committee meeting, both sides will review the implementation status of the FTA and focus on key trade issues. The Korean government plans to express concerns about Türkiye's increasing import restrictions on Korean products and request fair and objective investigations in line with international norms.
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Additionally, the Korean side will raise issues related to customs clearance and certification difficulties faced by local companies and discuss possible improvements. The Turkish side plans to propose measures to reduce its trade deficit with Korea, and both countries will discuss ways to expand cooperation in the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) sector.
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