Mexico exported 9,300 tons of pork to South Korea in 2025

In 2025, Mexico recorded an agri-food trade surplus of 110 million dollars with the Republic of Korea, as part of bilateral trade totaling 228 million dollars, according to a report released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on June 18, 2026. Mexican exports from the sector totaled 169 million dollars, compared with imports of 59 million dollars.

Pork was the second-largest export by volume to Korea, at 9,300 metric tons (t). Sea urchins led in volume with 20,500 t, followed by pork, animal products (8,900 t), sardines and sardinellas (6,900 t), fish (6,100 t), beef (2,300 t), and vegetable fats and oils (1,600 t). Mexican agri-food exports totaled more than 59,000 t.

At the same time, both governments recently implemented a Food Safety Capacity-Building Program between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, with the participation of officials, technical experts, and industry representatives from both countries. The goal was to exchange technical information on agri-food safety regulations to facilitate bilateral trade.

For the Mexican pork industry, the fact that pork ranks as the second-largest export by volume to South Korea—a market with high purchasing power and stringent health standards—is a positive sign of international competitiveness. Access to and maintenance of this export channel depend directly on progress in food safety, traceability, and the country’s health status, particularly regarding African swine fever (ASF), a disease from which Mexico remains free.