Jeju Tangerine Juice Bound for Russia (Yonhap)
JEJU, May 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Russia has emerged once again as the largest importer of Jeju-grown tangerines, accounting for more than half of South Korea’s total citrus exports last year, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to data released by the Korea Citrus Export Union, 1,775 tons of tangerines—representing 53% of all Jeju citrus exports in 2024—were shipped to Russia. Other key export destinations included Canada (558 tons), the United States (324 tons), Singapore (150 tons), Hong Kong (149 tons), and Malaysia (143 tons).
The figures reinforce a trend: Russia has consistently imported over 50% of Jeju’s citrus exports annually since 2022, with 1,977 tons imported in 2023 (56.5%) and 1,484 tons in 2022 (54.3%). Before the war began in February 2022, Russian demand was even higher, peaking at 5,466 tons in 2021 and 4,391 tons in 2020.
That surge followed Russia’s ban on Chinese citrus imports due to pest contamination, creating an opportunity for Jeju’s high-quality tangerines to fill the gap.
Compared to 2019, when Russia imported just 687 tons, the current volume represents a more than twofold increase.
Founded in December 2021, the Korea Citrus Export Union is a joint initiative of 18 regional agricultural cooperatives in Jeju, alongside five farming associations and 23 export firms. The organization oversees citrus export strategy and quality control.
Yang Young-jae, head of Jeju’s citrus export task force at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NongHyup), attributed the continued success in Russia to the island’s geographic proximity, which allows for faster shipping and superior freshness.
“Jeju citrus tastes far better than Chinese varieties, and Russian buyers have taken notice,” he said. “Once the war ends, we plan to further expand exports to Russia.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
