Wando Seafood Ready-to-Eat Meals Achieve Milestone with $13 Million Export Agreement

Online Export Consultation Meeting Held, Largest Single Event Performance During Overseas Market Development Team Activities

Taking a photo with officials who signed the export agreement. (Photo by Wando-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Shin Woo-cheol) announced on the 22nd that it held the ‘Wando Seafood Home Meal Replacement (HMR) Online Export Consultation’ at the Wando Culture and Arts Center on the 21st.

A total of 73 export consultations were conducted that day, resulting in 7 export agreements with 3 countries including the United States, Thailand, and France, achieving $13 million in performance.

This is the largest single event achievement during Wando-gun’s overseas market development team activities. The Wando HMR online export consultation was planned to overcome the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, global economic recession, export slump, and difficulties in overseas human mobility, and to promote regional economic development and expand seafood export channels.

This consultation was held for the second time following the first HMR export consultation held in September last year, the first among basic local governments in South Korea during the severe COVID-19 period.

Hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Wando-gun, and organized by the Jeonnam Small and Medium Business Promotion Agency, a total of 14 Wando-gun export companies participated in the export consultation, and 19 food buyers from 9 countries were invited.

Participating companies showcased various HMR products such as abalone chowder, abalone soy sauce bibimbap, boiled abalone, Wando abalone kit, seaweed health supplements, flounder fish porridge, and abalone confit.

The export agreements include: $5 million with Ulta-ri USA - Wando-gun (USA), $5 million total with Pacific Giant USA - Wando Abalone Co., Haesung International, Segyero Fisheries, Wando Sea Clear (USA), $2 million with Jidubang Thailand - Wando-da Fishery Corporation (Thailand), and $1 million with Rienco France - Wando Sea Food (France).

A county official said, “We plan to promote various follow-up support projects such as promotional events after this online export consultation, and in August, we will strive to produce tangible export results through the Wando-gun export consultation by inviting overseas buyers.”

Meanwhile, due to the implementation of strong social distancing measures amid the spread of COVID-19, this export consultation was conducted online by inviting overseas buyers with a small number of administrative support staff.