Australian lemon growers have been given an easier path into South Korea, with Korean quarantine officers no longer required to inspect fruit in Australia before it ships. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced the change on 16 October 2026, saying it means lower costs and less red tape for exporters.
Korea lemon exports lose a long-standing check
The change follows Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency finalising revised import requirements for Australian lemons. Those requirements remove Korea’s long-standing pre-clearance requirement, under which Korean officials carried out inspections in Australia before the fruit was exported.
Korean quarantine officers will no longer need to do that work, and Korea will maintain its biosecurity protections through existing export certification and compliance arrangements instead.
Queensland producers get in for the first time
The updated requirements also open the market to Queensland lemon exporters. According to the Minister, Queensland producers are now able to access Korea for the first time.
“These changes are also a win for Queensland lemon growers and exporters, who are now able to access the Korean market,” Ms Collins said.
A small but fast-growing trade
Korea lemon exports have grown from $295,000 in 2021-22 to $1.78 million in 2025-26, according to the Minister’s release. That is roughly a sixfold increase over four years, albeit from a low base.
Ms Collins said the revised requirements “will provide greater flexibility for growers and export facilities seeking to access the Korean market while also supporting future growth opportunities for Australian lemon exports”.
What the release does not say
The Minister’s release does not give a start date for the new Korea lemon exports arrangements, and does not detail any conditions that exporters must meet beyond the existing certification and compliance arrangements. Growers and packers planning shipments should check the current import requirements with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry before relying on the change.
The change to Korea lemon exports is part of a wider push on market access. The Government says it has secured new opportunities over the past year in Vietnam, Indonesia, Canada and India, covering products such as blueberries, apples, rendered products and organic goods.
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Source: Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP, media release, 16 October 2026
