South Korea's cosmetics trade, month by month
Official Korea Customs Service statistics for cosmetics: perfumes, skin care, make-up, hair care, bath and toiletry products, plus toilet soap and skin cleansers. This section goes down to 6-digit and Korean 10-digit product codes for every partner country.
October 2026 at a glance
Exports, October 2026
$1.42B
-5.9% vs previous month
vs same month a year earlier
+54.5%
export value
Exports, last 12 months
$14.45B
+29.2% vs 12 months before
Imports, October 2026
$172.9M
In October 2026, South Korea exported $1.42 billion of cosmetics, down 5.9% from September 2026 and up 54.5% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of cosmetics totalled $14.45 billion, up 29.2% from the 12 months before ($11.18 billion).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($2.98 billion, 20.6% of the total), followed by China and Japan.
Imports in October 2026 were $172.9 million (up 21.0% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $1.24 billion for the month.
Last 24 months
Top destinations
Export value over the 12 months to October 2026, compared with the 12 months before.
| Rank | Country | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | Rank before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $2.98B | 20.6% | +37.0% | 1 | $312.8M |
| 2 | China | $2.06B | 14.3% | -1.6% | 2 | $193.6M |
| 3 | Japan | $1.17B | 8.1% | +7.3% | 3 | $104.8M |
| 4 | Hong Kong | $739.6M | 5.1% | +5.7% | 4 | $62.8M |
| 5 | United Kingdom | $554.2M | 3.8% | +169.8% | 11 | $59.3M |
| 6 | Russia | $529.6M | 3.7% | +18.3% | 6 | $53.3M |
| 7 | Vietnam | $512.2M | 3.5% | +6.3% | 5 | $40.2M |
| 8 | Netherlands | $454.3M | 3.1% | +281.3% | 18 | $63.5M |
| 9 | Poland | $405.0M | 2.8% | +60.6% | 8 | $25.7M |
| 10 | Taiwan | $375.9M | 2.6% | +14.2% | 7 | $34.0M |
Products
Export value over the 12 months to October 2026. "Share" is the share of the group above.
Perfumes and toilet waters · HS 3303 $91.1M
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3303.00 | Perfumes and toilet waters | $91.1M | 100.0% | +71.6% | $8.9M |
| 3303.00.1000 | Perfumes | $84.7M | 93.0% | +62.0% | $8.3M |
| 3303.00.2000 | Toilet waters | $6.4M | 7.0% | +688.3% | $565K |
Beauty, make-up and skin care preparations · HS 3304 $11.81B
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3304.10 | Lip make-up preparations | $557.3M | 4.7% | -9.7% | $54.1M |
| 3304.10.1000 | Lipsticks | $90.1M | 16.2% | -33.7% | $6.6M |
| 3304.10.9000 | Other lip make-up preparations | $467.2M | 83.8% | -2.9% | $47.5M |
| 3304.20 | Eye make-up preparations | $202.6M | 1.7% | +3.5% | $17.8M |
| 3304.20.1000 | Eye shadows | $59.6M | 29.4% | -4.1% | $5.5M |
| 3304.20.9000 | Other eye make-up preparations | $143.0M | 70.6% | +7.1% | $12.4M |
| 3304.30 | Manicure and pedicure preparations | $30.2M | 0.3% | -4.7% | $3.4M |
| 3304.30.1000 | Nail enamels | $16.5M | 54.5% | -13.0% | $2.1M |
| 3304.30.9000 | Other manicure and pedicure preparations | $13.7M | 45.5% | +7.5% | $1.3M |
| 3304.91 | Powders for make-up or skin care, whether or not compressed | $66.7M | 0.6% | -0.1% | $6.2M |
| 3304.91.1000 | Face powders | $45.5M | 68.3% | +2.0% | $4.2M |
| 3304.91.2000 | Baby powders (including talcum powder) | $147K | 0.2% | +12.7% | $7,735 |
| 3304.91.9000 | Other powders | $21.0M | 31.5% | -4.5% | $1.9M |
| 3304.99 | Other beauty, make-up and skin care preparations (including sunscreen) | $10.95B | 92.7% | +31.0% | $1.07B |
| 3304.99.1000 | Skin care preparations | $5.94B | 54.2% | +27.0% | $587.4M |
| 3304.99.2000 | Make-up preparations | $843.5M | 7.7% | +1.9% | $69.1M |
| 3304.99.3000 | Preparations for children | $28.9M | 0.3% | +5.0% | $4.0M |
| 3304.99.9000 | Other beauty and skin care preparations | $4.14B | 37.8% | +46.4% | $412.9M |
Hair preparations · HS 3305 $632.7M
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3305.10 | Shampoos | $236.8M | 37.4% | +37.3% | $21.9M |
| 3305.20 | Preparations for permanent waving or straightening | $5.5M | 0.9% | -9.4% | $437K |
| 3305.30 | Hair lacquers | $1.7M | 0.3% | -43.1% | $452K |
| 3305.90 | Other hair preparations | $388.6M | 61.4% | +37.4% | $45.9M |
| 3305.90.1000 | Hair rinses | $41.2M | 10.6% | +55.7% | $4.9M |
| 3305.90.2000 | Hair creams | $11.9M | 3.1% | +10.4% | $982K |
| 3305.90.9000 | Other hair preparations (hair dyes, treatments, styling products and others) | $335.4M | 86.3% | +36.6% | $39.9M |
Shaving, deodorant, bath and other toiletry preparations · HS 3307 $1.24B
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3307.10 | Shaving preparations | $306K | 0.0% | -53.1% | $16K |
| 3307.10.1000 | After-shave lotions | $125K | 40.8% | -37.5% | $1,240 |
| 3307.10.9000 | Other shaving preparations | $181K | 59.2% | -59.9% | $14K |
| 3307.20 | Personal deodorants and antiperspirants | $14.7M | 1.2% | +415.7% | $5.7M |
| 3307.30 | Perfumed bath salts and other bath preparations | $5.8M | 0.5% | +10.1% | $533K |
| 3307.30.1000 | Perfumed bath salts | $554K | 9.5% | -33.9% | $9,609 |
| 3307.30.2000 | Other bath preparations | $5.2M | 90.5% | +18.4% | $523K |
| 3307.41 | Agarbatti and other incense that works by burning | $890K | 0.1% | -39.2% | $103K |
| 3307.49 | Other room perfuming or deodorizing preparations | $33.7M | 2.7% | +46.1% | $3.8M |
| 3307.90 | Other toiletry preparations (depilatories, sheet masks, contact lens solutions and others) | $1.18B | 95.5% | +39.5% | $109.5M |
| 3307.90.1000 | Depilatories | $313K | 0.0% | -78.2% | $9,159 |
| 3307.90.3000 | Contact lens or artificial eye solutions | $7.0M | 0.6% | +17.8% | $420K |
| 3307.90.4000 | Sheet masks (mask packs) | $720.4M | 61.0% | +23.1% | $65.4M |
| 3307.90.9000 | Other toiletry preparations | $453.6M | 38.4% | +78.8% | $43.7M |
Soap and cleansers · HS 3401.11 + 3401.30 $721.6M
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3401.11 | Toilet soap, including medicated soap | $13.7M | 1.9% | +19.5% | $1.3M |
| 3401.11.1000 | Medicated soap | $299K | 2.2% | -29.1% | $21K |
| 3401.11.9000 | Other toilet soap | $13.4M | 97.8% | +21.3% | $1.3M |
| 3401.30 | Liquid or cream skin-washing products | $707.9M | 98.1% | +33.0% | $67.1M |
Soap and cleansers covers only the toilet-soap and skin-cleanser codes of heading 3401; laundry soap and other soap are left out. HS 3307.41, HS 3307.49, HS 3307.90.3000 have their own pages but are not counted in the cosmetics total (see Data sources).
Monthly cosmetics reports
| Month | Exports | vs previous month | vs year earlier | Imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $1.42B | -5.9% | +54.5% | $172.9M |
| September 2026 | $1.50B | +24.7% | +31.3% | $152.1M |
| August 2026 | $1.21B | -10.2% | +40.0% | $151.2M |
| July 2026 | $1.34B | +1.2% | +37.2% | $150.0M |
| June 2026 | $1.33B | +13.5% | +41.3% | $157.6M |
| May 2026 | $1.17B | -13.3% | +23.1% | $140.9M |
| April 2026 | $1.35B | +14.2% | +31.2% | $149.5M |
| March 2026 | $1.18B | +29.7% | +26.0% | $152.0M |
| February 2026 | $912.5M | -10.8% | +3.1% | $124.2M |
| January 2026 | $1.02B | -3.9% | +35.9% | $146.6M |
| December 2025 | $1.06B | +12.6% | +21.8% | $154.0M |
| November 2025 | $945.2M | +3.2% | +4.2% | $129.8M |
| October 2025 | $916.3M | -20.0% | -11.3% | $142.9M |
| September 2025 | $1.15B | +32.9% | +25.9% | $159.3M |
| August 2025 | $862.1M | -12.0% | +4.7% | $143.2M |
| July 2025 | $979.9M | +4.2% | +17.9% | $139.0M |
| June 2025 | $940.3M | -1.1% | +20.9% | $142.9M |
| May 2025 | $951.2M | -7.6% | +8.3% | $135.0M |
| April 2025 | $1.03B | +9.6% | +20.7% | $136.6M |
| March 2025 | $939.0M | +6.1% | +21.0% | $148.6M |
| February 2025 | $885.1M | +17.6% | +23.5% | $131.2M |
| January 2025 | $752.7M | -13.9% | -4.9% | $120.8M |
| December 2024 | $874.1M | -3.6% | +25.5% | $135.1M |
| November 2024 | $906.9M | -12.2% | +17.7% | $137.6M |