Selling to the EU from South Korea
Every claim on this page links to the full answer with the regulation and article on the main guide — nothing here is new or looser than the official text.
You export from South Korea — Seoul, Incheon, the Gyeonggi industrial belt — into the European Union: electronics, cosmetics, automotive parts, machinery. The EU–Korea FTA removes duties on most goods, but product-safety law applies fully. Since 13 December 2024, almost every consumer product sold in the EU needs a Responsible Person inside the EU.
The questions, with answers
Do I get a lower duty under the EU–Korea FTA? FTA, in force
For most goods, yes. The EU–Korea Free Trade Agreement has been fully in force since 13 December 2015. As always the preference depends on meeting the origin rule for your product and on holding valid proof — the agreement lowers the rate, it does not remove the paperwork.
Whether a preference actually applies is decided per product by the origin rule in the agreement, not by where the goods were shipped from. Rules of origin works that through, and the goods code decides which rule you are under. A claim without valid proof is recovered from the importer, three years back, with interest.
Source: EU–Korea Free Trade Agreement, fully in force 13 December 2015. Checked: 4 September 2026.
Does the EU–Korea FTA exempt me from product rules?
No — the FTA is a trade agreement that removes or reduces customs duties on qualifying goods. GPSR, CE marking, REACH and the Responsible Person apply on top, exactly as to goods from countries without any FTA. The tariff is a discount, not a regime.
Source: EU–Korea FTA (2011); Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Checked: 4 September 2026.
I export K-beauty products. What applies?
Cosmetics have their own regime — Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 — with a Responsible Person duty built in (Article 4), CPNP notification before placing on the market, a Product Information File, and labelling including the EU Responsible Person's name and address. GPSR sits on top as the general safety net.
Source: Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Articles 4, 13 (CPNP); Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Checked: 4 September 2026.
Do I need a separate Responsible Person for cosmetics?
The cosmetics regulation (1223/2009) has its own Responsible Person concept — it must be established in the EU and named on the label. GPSR adds the general-safety Responsible Person. For cosmetics, one EU entity can often carry both roles, but the duties and paperwork are distinct.
Source: Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Article 4; Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Article 16. Checked: 4 September 2026.
What does a Responsible Person cost for Korean products?
€200–800 per year per catalogue for general consumer products. Cosmetics RP services tend higher (€500–1,500/year) because they carry CPNP notification and PIF maintenance. Ask for the scope in writing: per company, per brand, or per product line.
Source: Published provider pricing, checked 4 September 2026. See
the cost answer.
Who can do this for me?
Source: Editorial list, checked 4 September 2026.
Next steps
Appoint a Responsible Person before your listings are suspended, not after — restoring a suspended listing takes longer than setting one up. The full guide covers GPSR, REACH, EPR and CBAM, each with regulation, article and the date it was last verified.
Selling into several EU countries at once? Labelling and warnings must be right per country — that is in the labelling answer.