KOTRA said on the 20th that it will run the "2026 First Step to Export Week" to help domestic-focused and first-time exporters break into overseas markets.
KOTRA will hold an online seminar on Oct. 14 with participation from related agencies, providing information needed in the export process such as certification, customs clearance and logistics. For three weeks starting Oct. 26, it will offer intensive one-on-one video consultations. The agency will also mobilize its global network of overseas trade offices in line with company needs, centered on the four largest export markets of China, the United States, Japan and Vietnam. Companies that finalize export contracts will receive logistics cost support through KOTRA's overseas shared logistics centers.
Eligible firms are domestic-focused and first-time exporters with no export experience or in the early stages of entering overseas markets. KOTRA plans to give priority to companies based outside the capital region and to favor small business owners, social enterprises, social ventures, and companies run by young people and women. In terms of products, the agency said it will concentrate support on consumer goods with strong export competitiveness, such as food and cosmetics.
"We will help first-time exporters grow into stable, mid-sized exporting companies," KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung said. "By increasing export participation among companies with potential, including those in provincial areas and those run by young people, we will broaden both the base and the number of players in exports."
