South Korea is ranked the fifth-largest market for U.S. pork so far this year — a strong sign of growing consumer demand that shows no signs of slowing down.
Andy Tauer, vice president of international market development with the National Pork Board, says South Korean consumers have embraced American pork products, and that appetite could soon move the country even higher on the global demand scale.
“And through the first seven months of the year, we’ve exported about 134,000 metric tons to that marketplace. So again, a very, very strong market, been a good market for the U.S. pork producers for a while, and it’s one that we continue to invest in and defend and continue to run a lot of promotions in that market, so we can continue to maintain that strong demand pull.”
That demand has been supported through a long-standing partnership with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, which helps promote American pork around the world.
According to the USMEF, U.S. pork exports reached a record 3.03 million metric tons in 2024, valued at $8.63 billion — a milestone that highlights how international markets are driving the industry’s success.
Tauer says with strong consumer demand for convenient home meal replacements, U.S. Pork is well positioned to fill that growing niche in the market.
“Because about 40 percent of Koreans live in single-family households, and they dine and eat alone, and so this is a growing trend. We had the opportunity to taste some of those different products, actually, while we were visiting one of the large retailers. And really, I see this as an opportunity to take some of the learnings out the international market and bring it back stateside, because even in the U.S., I mean, we’re continuing to look for convenience opportunities, and most of these meals are able to be prepared in less than 20 minutes.”
With global demand rising — and South Korea leading the charge — the U.S. pork industry looks poised for another strong year ahead. To learn more visit porkcheckoff.org
