With the global spread of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), the Korean cosmetics industry has achieved remarkable growth, with China emerging as the largest export destination and a market of strategic importance. The Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which took effect in 2015, provided an institutional foundation; however, its practical utilization has been limited due to the exclusion of certain items from liberalization and the presence of complex non-tariff barriers. This study analyzes the export trends and market share changes of Korean cosmetics before and after the FTA's implementation. It also examines the structure of tariff benefits by comparing concession rates and rules of origin (PSR) with those of the Korea-U.S. and Korea-EU FTAs. Furthermore, the study categorizes and reviews China's recent non-tariff measures by newly exported and existing products, and analyzes specific challenges encountered in the field. Based on these findings, the study proposes practical export strategies to enhance the utilization of the FTA and to address non-tariff barriers. It also offers policy and operational implications, aiming to support the sustainable entry of the Korean cosmetics industry into the Chinese market.
Zhou et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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