Ahn Ik-hee, manager at the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.’s Export Information Department, speaks about food exports to Southeast Asia during an online briefing Wednesday. (aT) The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation said Thursday it held an online briefing with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on non-tariff barriers to Korean food exports to Southeast Asia for food exporters and industry officials.The briefing, held Wednesday, was organized to help Korean exporters proactively respond to regulatory changes in Indonesia and Vietnam, two major export markets for Korean food products. The Korea Food Research Institute and local experts from Indonesia and Vietnam participated in the session, which drew about 200 attendees.The Korea Food Research Institute covered procedures and precautions for obtaining halal certification, while an Indonesian expert organization discussed developments in mandatory halal certification and Indonesian National Standards (SNI) requirements. A Vietnamese expert organization provided updates on revisions to the country's food safety laws and guidance for exporters.The Indonesia session covered trends in nontariff barriers, mandatory halal certification and SNI requirements, along with procedures for obtaining certification. Participants were advised to check product-specific requirements, including food registration and quarantine procedures, before export and ensure consistency between product information and documents submitted by local importers.The Vietnam session focused on nontariff barriers and revisions to the country's food safety laws. Speakers emphasized the need for Korean exporters to strengthen food safety controls across the entire process, from raw material management and manufacturing to quality inspections and product information management, rather than simply meeting product registration and labeling requirements.“Regulations that exporters need to prepare for in advance, including halal certification, food safety and labeling requirements, are rapidly increasing in Indonesia and Vietnam,” said Jeon Gi-chan, director of aT's Export Food Division.