Published 2026-07-24 · 2 min read
Summary: Korea already has free trade agreements with Canada, the EU, the UK, Vietnam, Indonesia and China. With a Korean certificate of origin, duty into these markets is often zero or close to it, yet plenty of sellers still price with the standard rate.
| Market | Agreement | With Korean origin |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | Korea–Canada FTA (CKFTA, since 2015) | Mostly 0% |
| 🇪🇺 EU | Korea–EU FTA (since 2011) | Most manufactured goods 0% (EU standard rate is around 3.7%) |
| 🇬🇧 UK | Korea–UK FTA (since 2021; origin rules eased in the 2025 upgrade) | Mostly 0% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | Korea–Vietnam FTA (since 2015) | About 89% of tariff lines duty-free |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Korea–Indonesia CEPA (since 2023) | Many items, such as plastics and auto parts, duty-free right away |
| 🇨🇳 China | Korea–China FTA (since 2015) | Varies by item, often cut to around 1–5% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | RCEP (since 2022, Korea and Japan's first FTA) | Phasing out over up to 20 years, so rates vary a lot by item |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | None | Not applicable, and Mexico actually raised tariffs from 2026 |
Of the markets in our calculator, Canada, the EU, the UK, Vietnam and Indonesia are effectively near-zero-duty markets for Korean goods. The catch is that you need a proper certificate of origin. Shipping from Korea isn't enough on its own; you have to show the product was actually made or substantially processed in Korea.
Treat the table as a rough guide. Each product (HS code) has its own origin rule and rate under each agreement, and some sensitive items still carry duty. And remember that Mexico has no FTA with Korea and raised tariffs on non-FTA countries in 2026 (covered in a separate post).
⚠️ Researched as of July 24, 2026. The rate you can actually claim depends on the HS classification and whether the origin rules are met. Confirm with a customs broker or the destination's customs authority.
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