S. Korea to Temporarily Remove Tariffs on Chinese Cabbage Imports

South Korea has decided to temporarily remove its tariffs on cabbage imports and bring in 100 tons of cabbages from China, a move aimed at stabilizing skyrocketing cabbage prices in the country, the government said on October 8.

South Korea currently imposes import duty on cabbage at 27 percent with radish duty at 30 percent. They are the main ingredients of Kimchi, the most common side dish for South Koreans.

The move comes as the price of cabbage shot up a whopping 118.9 percent in September compared with the same period last year. The price of cabbage recently rose to over 13,000 won (11.44 U.S. dollars) per head from the average price of less than 2,000 won after a sharp reduction of supply due to damage inflicted by this year's bad weather conditions.

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it will import 100 tons of cabbage and 50 tons of radishes from China in October to curb soaring prices of the vegetables, and will review pursuing additional imports according to market conditions.

South Korea annually imports about 200 tons of cabbage on average, and it took in 2,059 tons of cabbage from China during the August-December period in 2007 when the price of cabbage was high. "The price rose as production dropped 30-40 percent due to the shrinking of farming areas and unusual weather conditions," the ministry was quoted as saying by local media.

"The shortage of supplies is expected to continue until the middle of October, but the price will soon turn downward after the fall crop is out," it said.