Korean ice cream exports to Vietnam surge

Korean ice cream (Photo: Reuteurs)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s exports of ice cream to Vietnam jumped 30 percent in 2019 from a year earlier on the back of the growing popularity of Korean culture in Southeast Asia, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) reported on July 19.

Outbound shipments of ice cream to Vietnam reached 7 million USD in 2019, rising sharply from 5.3 million USD in 2018, according to KOTRA, adding that the RoK took up 35.6 percent of Vietnam’s ice cream imports last year.

Experts said the growth was attributable to the cultural wave of “hallyu” in Asian countries, which refers to the boom of RoK-made entertainment goods, including foodstuffs.

“Vietnam is an attractive destination for ice cream producers as the country’s average income has been rising steadily,” KOTRA said in its report.

Vietnam was the third-largest export destination for the RoK in 2019, after China and the US./.