SEOUL: The volume of snack foods imported into Korea almost doubled over the past 10 years. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on Sunday that confectionary imports amounted to 121,100 tons last year, 1.8 times the level reported in 2005. That translates into an annual growth rate of 7.6 percent. In money terms, imports increased from US$211.6 million to $634.4 million over the same period, an annual growth rate of 12.7 percent.
The U.S. was the top exporter of snacks to Korea, followed by China, Germany and Malaysia as of last year. But Germany posted the biggest growth in the 10-year period, its confectionary exports to Korea increasing 13.5 times. Imports from Malaysia grew 9.1 times, and those from Indonesia 3.9 times.