U.S. Agro-Exports Surge to Record Highs in Q1
K-food-exports SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- In the first quarter, South Korea saw its exports of agricultural and food items increase by 7.9% compared to the previous year, hitting an all-time high due to the rising influence of Hallyu, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday. The value of outbound shipments for agriculture and food products reached US$3.18 billion during the January-March period, marking an increase from the $2.95 billion reported in the same quarter the previous year, as stated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The ministry also noted that this was the most substantial first-quarter figure ever recorded. Individually, exports of instant noodles jumped 27.3% to reach $343.9 million. Snack product sales grew by 5.5%, totaling $174.1 million, whereas beverage exports climbed 4.5% to hit $156.8 million. The sales of South Korean cigarettes increased by 14.5 percent year-over-year to reach $261 million, whereas sauce exp...