South Korea cosmetics exports: October 2026
Monthly report, generated from Korea Customs Service statistics
In October 2026, South Korea exported $1.42 billion of cosmetics, down 5.9% from September 2026 and up 54.5% from October 2025.
The three largest destinations were the United States ($312.8 million, 22.1%), China ($193.6 million, 13.7%), Japan ($104.8 million, 7.4%).
Compared with October 2025, the largest increases in export value by destination were the United States (+$123.9 million), the Netherlands (+$50.4 million), China (+$44.0 million).
The largest decreases by destination were Czechia (-$2.3 million), Saudi Arabia (-$1.2 million), Indonesia (-$1.1 million).
Within the top 10 destinations, the Netherlands moved from 14th to 4th, the United Kingdom moved from 11th to 6th, Vietnam moved from 5th to 8th compared with October 2025.
Top destinations
| Rank | Country | Exports | Share | vs September 2026 | vs October 2025 | Rank a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $312.8M | 22.1% | -5.0% | +65.6% | 1 |
| 2 | China | $193.6M | 13.7% | -19.0% | +29.4% | 2 |
| 3 | Japan | $104.8M | 7.4% | -9.4% | +18.7% | 3 |
| 4 | Netherlands | $63.5M | 4.5% | -16.2% | +384.7% | 14 |
| 5 | Hong Kong | $62.8M | 4.4% | -3.5% | +10.2% | 4 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | $59.3M | 4.2% | -1.4% | +184.5% | 11 |
| 7 | Russia | $53.3M | 3.8% | -0.1% | +58.0% | 6 |
| 8 | Vietnam | $40.2M | 2.8% | -5.6% | +15.2% | 5 |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | $34.5M | 2.4% | +17.6% | +34.2% | 7 |
| 10 | Taiwan | $34.0M | 2.4% | -5.4% | +34.7% | 8 |
| 11 | Australia | $29.8M | 2.1% | -16.7% | +118.9% | 13 |
| 12 | Canada | $26.1M | 1.8% | -9.1% | +67.5% | 12 |
| 13 | Poland | $25.7M | 1.8% | +19.4% | +22.0% | 10 |
| 14 | Thailand | $24.7M | 1.7% | +6.4% | +15.0% | 9 |
| 15 | Germany | $19.3M | 1.4% | +78.0% | +111.0% | 20 |
Largest changes by destination
Change in export value compared with October 2025, ranked by dollar amount.
| Country | October 2026 | October 2025 | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $312.8M | $188.9M | +$123.9M | +65.6% |
| Netherlands | $63.5M | $13.1M | +$50.4M | +384.7% |
| China | $193.6M | $149.6M | +$44.0M | +29.4% |
| United Kingdom | $59.3M | $20.8M | +$38.4M | +184.5% |
| Russia | $53.3M | $33.7M | +$19.6M | +58.0% |
| Country | October 2026 | October 2025 | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czechia | $2.6M | $5.0M | -$2.3M | -46.6% |
| Saudi Arabia | $5.0M | $6.2M | -$1.2M | -19.2% |
| Indonesia | $9.5M | $10.7M | -$1.1M | -10.7% |
| Iraq | $1.4M | $2.3M | -$865K | -38.1% |
| Sweden | $2.5M | $3.1M | -$628K | -20.3% |
Products
Six-digit codes counted in the cosmetics total.
Compared with October 2025, the largest increases in export value by product were Other beauty, make-up and skin care preparations (including sunscreen) (HS 3304.99) (+$396.2 million), Other toiletry preparations (depilatories, sheet masks, contact lens solutions and others) (HS 3307.90) (+$38.6 million), Other hair preparations (HS 3305.90) (+$23.8 million).
The largest decreases by product were Eye make-up preparations (HS 3304.20) (-$510,054).
Imports in October 2026 were $172.9 million (up 21.0% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $1.24 billion for the month.
Exports FOB, imports CIF, US dollars. Percentages are left blank when the earlier month was under $10,000. Figures are as downloaded on 2026-11-13; the source can revise them later. Source: Korea Customs Service, via data.go.kr.