Hong Kong Sets the Table for Global Food Trade
Hong Kong is preparing to host one of the region’s largest food trade gatherings this summer. The HKTDC Food Expo 2026 and its trade focused counterpart, the HKTDC Food Expo PRO 2026, will run at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai from August 13 to 17.
The professional trade sessions conclude on August 15, three days into the wider public run. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the twin events combine consumer facing retail with structured business to business matchmaking, giving suppliers one platform for both sales and negotiation.
A city built for sourcing and sampling
The exhibition floor is divided into specialized zones designed to serve different audiences across the five day run. The Public Hall caters to everyday shoppers browsing daily essentials and regional pavilions, while the Gourmet Zone highlights premium and niche culinary offerings.
Food Expo PRO adds dedicated sections for food science and technology, halal food and beverage products, and coffee, reflecting rising demand across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. A hybrid digital layer, branded EXHIBITION+, extends the physical event through a smart matching platform.
That platform, called Click2Match, operates from August 6 through August 22 to support remote negotiations and follow up meetings after the show officially ends.
Tickets balance access and control
Ticket pricing has been structured to balance public access with a controlled professional environment. Standard public admission is priced modestly, with discounted bulk rates available for exhibitor guests, while pre registered trade buyers receive complimentary entry across the trade focused days.
Exhibitors applying ahead of the general deadline can also qualify for early bird and returning participant discounts. Organizers expect the 2026 edition to draw roughly 2,100 exhibitors, an increase from the 1,890 recorded in 2025, alongside close to 510,000 visitors and about 21,000 trade buyers.
National pavilions from Brunei, the United States, and Japan will anchor the international presence. Established companies from the food and retail sectors return to showcase new products across both public and trade halls.
The show coincides with several concurrent fairs, including a regional tea fair, a wellness product conference, and consumer expos covering home goods and beauty. Venue operators have also built in contingency plans for the August storm season, having previously extended public hours and shifted professional programs online during periods of severe weather disruption.
Momentum builds in Korean food exports
Korean food brands are a regular presence on the show floor itself, with companies such as Daesang Corporation maintaining high visibility booths in the premium Gourmet Zone to promote fermented products, kimchi, and traditional sauces to Hong Kong’s consumer market.
Alongside the expo’s growth, South Korea’s agricultural and food export sector, grouped under the government’s K-Food Plus banner, continues to post record results. Total K-Food Plus exports reached USD 13.62 billion in 2025, a 5.1 percent increase from the previous year.
The core agri-food category surpassed USD 10 billion for the first time, reaching USD 10.41 billion, while the agro-industry segment, covering machinery, fertilizers, and related technical products, added a further USD 3.22 billion.
That combined performance underscores a shift toward higher value manufactured exports alongside traditional agricultural produce. Momentum has carried into 2026, with provisional figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showing further gains.
Cumulative exports for the first half of the year reached USD 7.05 billion, up 4.1 percent year over year and a new high for any first half trading period on record. Instant noodles remained the standout performer within this total.
Instant noodle shipments climbed 27.9 percent to USD 940 million, putting the category on pace to surpass USD 1 billion well ahead of last year’s schedule. Processed rice products such as frozen gimbap and rice cakes also grew steadily during the period.
Categories and regions driving growth
Fresh produce categories posted some of the sharpest gains, with strawberries rising 15.9 percent, premium grapes climbing 27.5 percent, and early season pears jumping 62.3 percent year over year. Regionally, exports to the Middle East rose 25.2 percent on demand for halal certified noodles and ginseng products.
Latin America grew 19.5 percent and Europe expanded 17.9 percent on prepared meals and rice based foods, while shipments to the United States totaled just over USD 1 billion, lifted by frozen gimbap and premium fruit varieties ahead of the Hong Kong show.
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