Selling sesame into South Korea: the aT tender, the quota and the 630% tariff.

What tariff does South Korea charge on sesame?

Sesame seed (HS 1207.40) has two rates. Inside the tariff-rate quota the duty is 40%. Outside it, the duty is 630% or KRW 6,660 per kilogram, whichever is higher. Both are set in Korea's presidential decree on WTO concession tariffs, which fixes a statutory quota of 6,731 tonnes.

The decree allows the government to raise the quota volume, and it does. The US Department of Agriculture's Seoul office, in its 2026 oilseeds report, puts the in-quota volume at 70,000 tonnes. USDA cites the Ministry of Economy and Finance's 2026 plan as increasing the sesame quota; we could not find the total in a Korean government text, so treat the volume as USDA's figure.

Who imports sesame into Korea?

aT, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. Under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' rules for quota imports (Notice 2024-99, in force from 1 January 2025), aT is the designated agency for sesame and imports on its own account. It also sells import rights by open competitive auction: a winner may not resell the right and must import within the deadline set.

Both channels are visible in aT's 2026 notices. Its second import-rights auction of 2026 offered 5,288 tonnes at the 40% in-quota rate, any origin, to be imported by 15 December 2026.

What does an aT sesame tender ask for?

aT's purchase tender of 27 August 2026 is a representative example. It called for 20,000 tonnes in three lots, 2,000 tonnes to Incheon and 8,000 and 10,000 tonnes to Busan, on CFR terms, with no origin restriction, to arrive at the Korean port by 30 October 2026 (the Incheon lot and the 8,000-tonne Busan lot) and 16 November 2026 (the 10,000-tonne Busan lot).

Bids are lodged on aT's bidding platform by a party with a Korean business registration that is registered with aT for bidding, accompanied by a supplier's certificate signed by the overseas supplier, who also sends it to aT directly. For an exporter, the practical route is therefore through a Korean bidder or agent who carries your offer into the tender.

The quality terms are strict, and they are contract terms, stated in the tender:

• —A pre-shipment test by a laboratory designated by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), covering 514 pesticide residues plus chlormequat and 2,4-D, benzopyrene, lead, cadmium and mycotoxins.
• —Total aflatoxin of 15 µg/kg or less, and aflatoxin B1 of 10 µg/kg or less.
• —Pesticide limits under Korea's positive list system; glyphosate or ethylene oxide above the limit means the lot cannot be imported.

Do trade agreements change the tariff for some origins?

Yes, and that shapes who competes. Korea Customs Service's trade-agreement tariff portal, which marks its rates as reference only, shows the following (2026 unless stated; USDA's tables differ for the US, and KCS is used here):

Where does Korea's sesame come from?

In 2024 Korea imported about 82,000 tonnes of sesame seed, according to its customs data as reported to UN Comtrade. China supplied about 34%, India 26%, Nigeria 18%, Pakistan 8% and Burkina Faso 6%. Nigeria was the third-largest origin, at about 14,400 tonnes.

What must be registered before sesame is imported?

Korea's Imported Food Safety Control Special Act requires an application to register the overseas manufacturing site before the import declaration, and imports for sale or business use to be declared to MFDS. aT's tender terms go further and require the supplier's packing and processing sites to be registered on MFDS's imported-food portal. For a private import, confirm the requirement with your Korean importer before shipment, not after.

How we approach Korean business

aT's tender terms are demanding: a residue screen of 514 substances and aflatoxin limits written into the tender itself. If you bid aT tenders or import under an auctioned right and want Nigerian origin, send us the tender specification and the lot you are bidding for, and we will tell you plainly whether we can meet it.

How current is this page?

Checked on 28 September 2026 against: the Presidential Decree on concession tariffs under the WTO Agreement (Annex 1, as amended 31 December 2024); MAFRA Notice 2024-99 on recommendation and import management of market-access quantities; aT's tender and auction notices of 13 January, 7 July and 27 August 2026; the Korea Customs Service FTA portal; the Imported Food Safety Control Special Act; UN Comtrade data reported by Korea for 2024; and USDA FAS GAIN report KS2026-0006 of 4 March 2026 for the quota volume. Tender terms change with each notice; read the current one before bidding.