It depends on whether the goods qualify under United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. Goods that meet the applicable rule of origin — either a tariff-shift test or regional value content of 35% (build-down) / 45% (build-up), depending on the product — and are properly self-certified by the importer, exporter, or producer clear at 0%, meaning duty-free, with the Merchandise Processing Fee waived as well. Goods that don't meet those origin rules, or ship without proper certification, fall back to the standard MFN (Column 1) rate for their HTS classification instead. Section 232 is a separate carve-out: steel, aluminum, and certain automotive products from South Korea can still be dutiable at Section 232 rates regardless of KORUS eligibility, so don't assume KORUS duty-free treatment automatically covers those categories.

Semiconductors and electronic components lead by value, reflecting South Korea's role as a major chip and display manufacturing hub, followed closely by passenger vehicles and auto parts from Korean automakers' US-bound production lines. Machinery, steel and steel products, and consumer electronics (smartphones, appliances, and displays) round out the largest categories, alongside a growing volume of batteries and battery components tied to electric-vehicle supply chains. Vehicles and some agricultural products were phased in on longer KORUS staging schedules than most industrial goods, so it's worth confirming whether a specific automotive HTS line has finished its phase-in before assuming full duty-free treatment.

Yes — commercial and personal shipments from South Korea to the US are routine, whether by ocean through major terminals like Busan or Gwangyang, or by air through Incheon. Ocean shipments require the Importer Security Filing (ISF 10+2) at least 24 hours before the container is loaded onto the vessel, and every shipment needs a formal customs entry uploaded into the US ACE system before or on arrival. What has changed is that the $800 de minimis exemption is suspended and written directly into federal regulation (19 CFR 10.151 and 19 CFR 145.31) effective June 24, 2026, so there's no longer a value threshold that lets a low-value parcel skip customs duty and entry — every shipment, personal or commercial, now needs a real customs entry regardless of value.

Yes. United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act has been in force since 2012 and eliminates duty on a wide range of qualifying goods traded between the two countries. Origin can be established through a tariff-shift rule or a regional-value-content threshold depending on the product, and certification is self-administered — there's no prescribed government form, and the importer, exporter, or producer can each sign off. Passenger vehicles and a handful of sensitive agricultural products used longer staging periods before reaching full duty elimination, and supporting records should be retained for five years in case CBP conducts a retroactive origin audit, so confirm your product's specific phase-in status rather than assuming immediate duty-free treatment across the board.