South Korea
Primary receiving authority: Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQIS) and related Korean import authorities. The agencies involved in Korean hay imports are well established, but several document types that appeared in early planning materials - fumigation, Non-GMO, tariff-rate quota (TRQ), pesticide, and mycotoxin documents - are not yet backed by a confirmed universal requirement.
This is a starting point, not a compliance sign-off
Requirements below are organized by how solidly they're sourced today. Before any shipment, confirm current, product-specific requirements through USDA APHIS's Phytosanitary Export Database (PExD) and an Authorized Certification Official, plus the destination authority directly. Treat nothing on this page as a substitute for that check.
The categories below reflect commercial and transport basics that apply broadly, plus documentation specific to South Korea at three levels of confidence: baseline, conditional on your specific product and protocol, and items that still need sourcing before they're treated as requirements.
Baseline
Standard for most export shipments regardless of destination.
Commercial invoice
Prepared by the exporter for customs valuation.
Packing list
Itemizes the shipment for customs and carrier handling.
Bill of lading
Issued by the carrier as the transport contract and title document.
Conditional
Generally expected, but the exact form and declarations depend on commodity and current protocol.
Phytosanitary certificate
Issued by the exporting country's Authorized Certification Official per current Korean import requirements.
Verify before shipment
Named in early planning materials, but not adequately sourced as a standing requirement - confirm before including in any shipment package.
Fumigation certificate
Confirm whether a current protocol or inspection finding triggers this for the specific shipment.
Non-GMO declaration
Confirm current wording and applicability with the importer.
Tariff-rate quota (TRQ) documentation
Confirm current quota status and paperwork with the importer or broker.
Pesticide / mycotoxin testing documents
Confirm current thresholds and required lab documentation before shipment.
Referenced in this overview
USDA APHIS PExD
USDA APHIS PExD (Phytosanitary Export Database)
