"Grabbing a Share of China's 1,200 Trillion Won Consumer Market"... KOTRA Goes All-Out with 'Expanding Export Markets' Initiative

Exploring Alternative Markets Amid US-Iran Tensions
Support for Video Consultations and Digital Marketing
Through 12 Local Trade Offices

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on September 7 that it will officially launch the "Expanding Export Markets" project, a comprehensive digital marketing support program targeting the Chinese domestic market.

KOTRA has been operating the "Online Delegation—Expanding Export Markets" initiative since July to help export companies, which are struggling with geopolitical risks such as the US-Iran war, discover alternative markets and diversify their target countries. As of the end of last month, KOTRA has supported approximately 100 companies either already active in or seeking entry into the Chinese market.

Exterior view of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency

This project, promoted as a regional delegation series, is a comprehensive digital overseas marketing support program that integrates consumer and regulatory information, export marketing webinars, buyer matching, one-on-one (1:1) B2B video consultations, and the use of AI Trade Support Centers at 20 locations nationwide.

The project has been designed in line with China's recently announced "15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption (2026–2030)." As Chinese authorities have announced their plan to increase the total retail sales of consumer goods to 60 trillion yuan (approximately 12,000 trillion won) by 2030, the local premium consumer goods and services market is expected to show significant growth.

In addition, following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju last November and mounting expectations for strengthened economic cooperation between the two countries, Korea became China's largest import source in the first half of this year for the first time in seven years, recording imports of 138.452 billion US dollars (accounting for 9.0% of the share). Exports of Korea’s top five consumer goods categories to China—including agricultural and marine products, cosmetics, and fashion—also achieved a V-shaped rebound, increasing by 8.7% for the first time in five years.

The project involves 12 local trade offices in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Shenzhen. By the end of last month, 73 local buyers had been identified, and a total of 202 video consultations were facilitated between 113 Korean companies and these buyers. Customized digital marketing support is being provided through AI-driven marketing and listings on the B2B export platform "BuyKOREA," among other avenues.

An official from Company A, located in Zhengzhou, China, who participated to source cosmetics, said, "As Chinese consumers place greater importance not only on price but also on quality, functionality, and brand value, interest in Korean products with differentiated competitiveness has increased. If Korean companies can combine differentiation with product offerings, marketing, certifications, and distribution strategies tailored to Chinese consumer preferences, they can achieve success in the Chinese domestic market."

Additionally, KOTRA is striving to enhance companies' capacity to meet compliance and regulatory requirements by holding webinars on Chinese certifications in collaboration with the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), in response to the Chinese authorities’ tightening of import safety assessments and amendments to the overseas manufacturer registration system.

Kang Sangyeop, Head of the Small and Medium Enterprises Division at KOTRA, said, "The Chinese domestic market is not only expanding in scale but is also increasingly oriented toward high-quality and safe products—trends that create greater opportunities for our companies to enter the market. We are committed to supporting our companies in enhancing their overseas market access through comprehensive digital marketing integrated with offline channels and equipping them with the responsiveness they need to succeed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.