Imports of South Korea produce set to increase

SEOUL (Kyodo) South Korean exports to Japan of hot peppers and sesame leaves are set to increase after safety tests were eased last week, South Korea's Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said Tuesday.

"With the identification registration, exports of hot peppers and sesame leaves to Japan are expected to rise by 20 percent in the remaining two months of this year," a ministry official said.

Japan only grows small quantities of these products, the official said.

Japan has given four South Korean suppliers of the vegetables import identification codes that allow the farm products to pass through customs more quickly than in the past.

Before the ID codes were given, all shipments of hot peppers and sesame leaves were physically checked, causing delays at customs.

Under the new system, only monitoring and regular sample tests will be conducted.

Exports of the vegetables in the remaining two months are expected to reach 157 tons worth $913,000 from the same period last year, when exports were 122 tons worth $753,000.

In addition to hot peppers and sesame leaves, South Korean suppliers have received permits from Japan to export paprika, small tomatoes and cucumbers to Japan after meeting the safety rules.

Japan launched a "positive list system" on residual fertilizers in May 2006 under which allowable maximum limits on about 700 different types of pesticides were set.

Other agricultural products not listed were banned if residual levels exceeded 0.01 parts per million.

The South Korean government has made joint efforts to have local suppliers of hot peppers and sesame leaves obtain permits for export to Japan.