🇺🇸Import Korean Food to the USA
Registration, labelling, duties and freight — what a distributor needs to bring Korean noodles, snacks, sauces and beverages into the USA, with vetted Korean suppliers at 0% commission and one logistics partner from factory to shelf.
Why the USA
The US is the single largest K-food export market — Korean noodles, sauces, snacks and frozen foods sell through mainstream grocery, club stores and Asian retail chains coast to coast. FDA compliance is process-heavy but predictable, and KORUS keeps most duties at zero.
Product registration in the USA
Facility registration
The Korean manufacturer’s facility must be FDA-registered with a US agent before shipping.
Prior Notice + FSVP
Every shipment needs FDA Prior Notice before arrival, and the US importer must run a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) for each supplier.
US labelling
Labels need the US Nutrition Facts panel, ingredient and allergen statements in English, and net contents in US units.
Typical lead time: With facility registration and labels ready, shipments move immediately — Prior Notice is filed electronically per shipment. Meat/dairy-containing items (e.g. some ramen) need extra USDA review.
Duties & taxes
Under KORUS most Korean food products enter the US duty-free with a certificate of origin. Items containing meat or certain dairy face separate USDA admissibility rules regardless of duty.
The US has no federal VAT — sales tax applies at retail by state, so import landed cost is essentially freight + duty (usually 0%).
Estimate your landed cost per HS code with our free import duty calculator. Open the import duty calculator
Regulations, duty and tax information is general guidance and may change. We confirm the exact requirements for your product and HS code before every shipment.
Shipping from Korea to the USA
We consolidate LCL and FCL cargo from Busan every week. Below are indicative LCL rates from our internal tariff — the same data our freight team quotes from.
| Destination port | LCL rate | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| CHICAGO | $180 / CBM=500KG | 25 days |
| LOS ANGELES | $145 / CBM | 11 days |
| NEW YORK | $170 / CBM | 25 days |
| OAKLAND | $155 / CBM | 20 days |
| SEATTLE | $160 / CBM | 13 days |
| SAN FRANCISCO | $155 / CBM | 20 days |
Indicative LCL ocean rates from Busan, Korea — from TY's internal tariff, updated regularly. Ocean freight portion only; your final DDP quote covers the full door-to-door cost.
How importing with TY works
Tell us your product
Send your category, target price and market — the matching form takes 3 minutes.
Supplier match + DDP quote
Within one business day we propose a vetted Korean supplier and a total landed-cost quote.
Samples & first order
We arrange sample shipping and consolidate small first orders with weekly LCL departures.
Ship, clear, deliver
TY handles export docs, ocean or air freight, customs and duty, and final delivery — tracked on our portal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need product registration to import Korean food to the USA?
No product-by-product registration, but three FDA pillars: the Korean factory must be FDA-registered, every shipment needs Prior Notice, and the US importer runs FSVP verification. Meat-containing ramen and dairy items add USDA rules. TY files Prior Notice with every shipment we move.
How long does shipping from Korea to the USA take?
LCL from Busan to LOS ANGELES takes about 11 days port-to-port. Add customs clearance and inland delivery for the full door-to-door DDP timeline. We consolidate weekly, so small first orders move fast.
What does DDP shipping mean for my order?
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means one all-in price to your door: pickup in Korea, ocean or air freight, customs clearance, import duty and taxes, and final delivery. You see your total landed cost before you commit to the order.
More import guides for the USA
Ready to source and ship from Korea?
Tell us your product and market — we reply with a matched Korean supplier and an all-in DDP quote within one business day. 0% commission: we make money on shipping, not on you.