Competitiveness of major wheat exporting countries in the Korean market

Abstract

The market share of U.S. wheat in Korea fell to 53% in 2002, primarily due to the weak competitiveness of U.S. wheat over Australian wheat in quality and price. In addition to upgrading the quality of wheat, maintaining consistent quality is also an important factor for market competitiveness. Australia and Canada offer consistent quality through various segregation systems based on quality specifications of wheat grains to satisfy the buyer's requirements. The Korean wheat flour milling industry would like to maintain the diversity of its import wheat markets. As consumer demand for better quality products grows, however, a higher and higher proportion of ASW wheat will be used for making noodles. Unless concerns over U.S. wheat quality are resolved in the near future, a decline in the market share of U.S. wheat in Korea seems to be inevitable.

The market share of U.S. wheat in Korea fell to 53% in 2002, primarily due to the weak competitiveness of U.S. wheat over Australian wheat in quality and price. In addition to upgrading the quality of wheat, maintaining consistent quality is also an important factor for market competitiveness. Australia and Canada offer consistent quality through various segregation systems based on quality specifications of wheat grains to satisfy the buyer's requirements. The Korean wheat flour milling industry would like to maintain the diversity of its import wheat markets. As consumer demand for better quality products grows, however, a higher and higher proportion of ASW wheat will be used for making noodles. Unless concerns over U.S. wheat quality are resolved in the near future, a decline in the market share of U.S. wheat in Korea seems to be inevitable.