Arrival of US Meat
Following American soybeans, hay, and oranges, American frozen meat also was imported via the Incheon New Port.
On May 17, the Incheon Port Authority (IPA) said 117 tons of American meat loaded at the LA Port arrived at the Incheon New Port and was quickly transported to cold storages in neighboring cities such as Yongin and Gwangju in the Seoul metropolitan area on May 16 just after completing the quarantine at the Sun-Kwang Container Terminal (SNCT) of the Incheon New Port.
The IPA added that cargo owners expressed satisfaction with the quarantine and customs clearance administration at the port.
Given the fact that the Seoul metropolitan area is the largest market for frozen meat and most of the cold storage facilities are located within one and half hours’ distance from the Incheon New Port, the IPA expects traders to increasingly use the Incheon port for importing livestock in the future as they seek to save time and cost as well as maintain the freshness of the meat.
In particular, the central region office of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency provides active supports including swift quarantine services for the cargos with no visible flaw in a bid to facilitate the new port, which draws positive responses from traders.
Accordingly, IPA expects a steady increase in imports of US agricultural products and livestock via the Incheon New Port.
Kim Soon-cheol, head of marketing team at the IPA said, “In order to facilitate the prompt quarantine, inspection and clearance, we will continuously seek consultation with relevant organizations and elicit their cooperation to diversify the cargo items and increase the cargo volume.