WNAM REPORT: About 100 South Korean consumer goods companies signed export deals and memorandums of understanding worth a combined US$11 million with U.S. buyers at the Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo (KBEE) in New Jersey last week.
The KBEE 2025 New York event was held from Thursday to Saturday (local time) at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City. It aimed to promote exports of Korean consumer goods, such as cosmetics, food and fashion items, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
This marked the first time the KBEE — now in its 25th edition — was held in North America, reflecting the surging popularity of Korean culture across the region, officials said.
Among 335 South Korean firms participating in the expo, around 100 clinched export deals and MOUs worth a total of $11 million with buyers from across North and South America, the agencies said.
“Our K-culture-linked export strategy, launched for the first time in North America, played a key role in helping small and medium-sized enterprises establish a local presence,” an industry ministry official said.
The next KBEE is scheduled to be held in Malaysia in December.
