Freight forwarderfrom South Korea to the USA

Searching for a freight forwarder South Korea to USA that understands both the Korean export side and the US import rules? Korean exports to the US include machinery, vehicle parts, electronics, steel and chemicals. Cargo ships from a major transshipment hub and one of the world's busiest air cargo airports, which gives importers flexibility in mode and routing.

This guide covers what is specific to Korea to USA: transit ranges, where to load, how a Korean exporter clears goods through UNI-PASS, how a KORUS preference claim works, and which steel products face AD/CVD orders. For an instant door-to-door price, use the ExFreight quote form.

Korea sits at the short end of the transpacific trade. Direct Busan to Long Beach sailings are typically two to three weeks port to port, and routings that loop through other Asian ports take longer. Treat these as typical ranges and read the carrier schedule before you set a launch date.

See ExFreight's FCL, LCL and air freight pages for how each mode is booked.

Busan dominates Korean containers. The city government reported about 24.4 million TEU at Busan in 2024, roughly three quarters of the national total, and about 13.5 million TEU of that was transshipment, almost all of Korea's transshipment volume. Incheon handled about 3.56 million TEU and Gwangyang about 2.0 million TEU the same year. The hub role matters for US-bound cargo: Korean boxes can leave on direct transpacific services, and cargo from other countries often connects at Busan.

US gateways for Korean cargo

Los Angeles and Long Beach take most Korean ocean cargo, with Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma as alternates. Cargo bound for the Midwest or East Coast is usually discharged at the West Coast and trucked onward, although some services call the East Coast directly. A recent seasonal transpacific loop was introduced that connects Busan with Long Beach and Cai Mep in Vietnam, an example of how Korea fits into combined Asia routings.

Korean exports are declared to the Korea Customs Service on UNI-PASS, the national electronic customs system. A Korean exporter needs a business registration number and a customs unique code and declarant code in UNI-PASS, then prepares the export declaration under the Electronic Filing menu. Most exporters use a licensed customs broker. Invest Korea describes UNI-PASS as covering electronic declaration, payment and information checks online.

• Export declaration filed on UNI-PASS before the goods are loaded; the accepted declaration is the document that lets the cargo gate in at the terminal.
• Commercial invoice and packing list with the HS code, which the Korean exporter and the US importer should reconcile against the HTS number you plan to declare.
• Korea FTA certification of origin if you intend to claim KORUS preference: the Korean exporter or producer can issue it, or you may rely on your own knowledge as importer (see the US import section).
• Air waybill or bill of lading instructions with the US importer of record details and the ISF data for ocean.

Ocean cargo needs an Importer Security Filing transmitted at least 24 hours before loading at the Korean port. Late or inaccurate filings can draw liquidated damages of $5,000 per violation. See the ISF guide. Entry follows the usual path: customs entry (formal entries usually need a customs bond) and a correct HTS classification.

Claiming KORUS preference

The Korea-US Free Trade Agreement took effect on March 15, 2012, and CBP states that most Korean industrial and consumer goods enter duty-free and free of the merchandise processing fee when they qualify. Rules of origin, including product-specific rules, are in General Note 33 of the HTSUS. A preference claim must be supported by a certification: CBP says a free-form certification is acceptable, and its fillable template is optional, but the data elements in 19 CFR 10.1004 must be available on request. A claim may also rest on the importer's own knowledge that the goods originate.

• No prescribed form. USTR confirms the certification can be written or electronic, issued by the importer, exporter or producer.
• Five-year records. The exporter or producer must keep origin records for a minimum of five years from the date the certification is issued.
• Decertification duty. If you issued a certification and cannot substantiate it, you must notify all recipients and the country of export.
• Not every product qualifies. Tariff-rate quotas can apply to products such as dairy, tobacco, fabric and apparel.

Additional duties and steel orders

Additional US duties on top of the HTS rate change often: Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum and certain derivatives, Section 301 where it applies, and temporary measures. The IEEPA reciprocal tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court in February 2026. A KORUS claim does not automatically exempt goods from these measures, so check current CBP CSMS messages and HTSUS Chapter 99 before you price an order. For steel and aluminum goods, read our Section 232 guide.

Steel is the main AD/CVD risk on this lane. Orders on Korea include, for example, cold-rolled steel flat products. Look up your product on the International Trade Administration AD/CVD case list, and read our AD/CVD importer guide.

A Korea to USA quote is shaped by factors that are specific to the lane. Rates move too quickly to publish a range, so use this list to understand what you are paying for:

• Hub-and-spoke capacity. Busan's huge transshipment role means Korean exports share space with cargo from other Asian countries. When transpacific capacity tightens, direct Korean space tightens with it.
• Mode choice. Because ocean transit is comparatively short, air competes more often on cost for medium-value goods than it does on longer lanes.
• Chargeable weight versus volume. Bulky, light goods are charged on volume for air, and machinery crates are charged on weight; packaging and crate design are cost levers.
• Origin inland haul. Trucking from Ulsan, Changwon or the Gyeonggi belt to Busan or Incheon changes the origin leg.
• Chuseok and Lunar New Year. Korean public holidays close factories and customs-related services for several days, producing pre-holiday booking surges.
• US peak season and West Coast congestion. Late-summer and autumn volumes affect schedule reliability and equipment.
• Duties and tariffs. A valid KORUS claim can remove ordinary duty, while Section 232 duties and AD/CVD cash deposits can still apply.
• Add-ons. Customs brokerage, ISF, insurance and US delivery.

ExFreight Zeta Inc. has been in business since 2006. On Korea to USA, the platform is most useful for keeping preference paperwork and shipment data together:

• Keep KORUS documents with the shipment. Documents are uploaded and stored online, so the supplier's certification, invoice and bill of lading sit in one place, and customs brokerage can be added when the claim needs to be filed.
• Compare modes quickly. Instant door-to-door rating between North America and 150+ countries shows air from Incheon next to ocean FCL and LCL from Busan.
• Check duty before you commit. The Global Duty and Tax Calculator gives estimates in 150+ countries, which helps when a KORUS claim and other US duties pull in different directions.
• Cover and track. Cargo insurance is offered at the time of booking, and map-based tracking with email status alerts covers air and ocean.
• Deliver onward. LTL and FTL trucking carry cargo inland from the West Coast, and Amazon FBA deliveries are available.
• Talk to a US team. Customer service is US-based and online from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST.

Ready to compare? Request your South Korea to USA quote.

Transit times are typical ranges and can change. Duties, tariffs and rules change: confirm current requirements with CBP and your customs broker before you ship.