American beef secured a dominant 47.1% share of the Korean imported meat market in 2025, marking its ninth consecutive year as the market leader. During the same period, U.S. pork also claimed the top spot with a 34.1% market share.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation released its “2025 American Beef Status Report” on Monday, drawing from Korean customs data and consumer surveys.
According to Korean Customs Service data, total beef imports last year reached 468,122 tons (customs-cleared), with American beef accounting for 220,427 tons, capturing 47.1% of the market.
Chilled beef comprised 29.6% of total U.S. beef imports last year. In the chilled meat import sector, American beef accounted for 67.0% of the market share.
A recent consumer perception study conducted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation in partnership with Gallup Korea revealed that 70.3% of respondents consider American beef safe, maintaining a strong approval rating above 70% for three consecutive years since 2023. Furthermore, 68.6% of those surveyed expressed their intention to purchase American beef in the future.
With seven out of ten Korean consumers holding a positive view of American beef, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that Korea is on track to remain the top beef export destination for the United States for five consecutive years through October 2025, underscoring Korea’s position as a key market for U.S. beef exports.
U.S. pork also made significant strides, accounting for 187,837 tons out of the total pork import volume of 551,495 tons (customs cleared) last year. This secured a 34.1% market share, more than 1.7 times higher than its closest competitor.
As of January 1 this year, tariffs on American beef have been eliminated, dropping to 0%. This marks the culmination of a 14-year phased reduction from the initial 40% rate, in place before the implementation of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Park Jun Il, Director of the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s Korea office, said that despite ongoing market volatility and uncertainty, the organization remains committed to actively supporting promotions and initiatives that help both industry partners and consumers broadly embrace American meat as a reliable protein source.