Live fish: South Korea exports and imports
HS 0301 · 활어 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $5.0 million of live fish (HS 0301), unchanged from September 2026 and down 9.8% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of live fish (HS 0301) totalled $56.7 million, down 9.5% from the 12 months before ($62.6 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Japan ($32.5 million, 57.5% of the total), followed by the United States and Vietnam.
That was 2.7% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 03 (fish, crustaceans and other seafood) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $19.7 million (up 14.5% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $14.7 million for the month.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 0301
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0301.11 | Freshwater | $90K | 0.2% | +328.9% | $18K |
| 0301.11.1000 | Fancy carp | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.11.9000 | Other | $90K | 100.0% | +328.9% | $18K |
| 0301.19 | Other | $6,635 | 0.0% | -53.2% | $0 |
| 0301.91 | Trout (Salmo trutta, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus clarki, Oncorhynchus aguabonita, Oncorhynchus gilae, Oncorhynchus | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.92 | Eels (Anguilla spp.) | $8,609 | 0.0% | -98.9% | $0 |
| 0301.92.1000 | Glass eels(Not exceeding 0.3g per unit, for aquaculture) | $0 | 0.0% | -100.0% | $0 |
| 0301.92.2000 | Young eels(exceeding 0.3g and not exceeding 50g per unit, for aquaculture) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.92.9090 | Other | $8,609 | 100.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.93 | Carp (Cyprinus spp., Carassius spp., Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Hypophthalmichthys spp., Cirrhinus spp., Mylopharyngodon | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.93.1000 | Crusian carp (Carassius spp.) | $0 | – | – | $0 |
| 0301.93.9000 | Other | $0 | – | – | $0 |
| 0301.95 | Southern bluefin tunas (Thunnus maccoyii) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99 | Other | $56.5M | 99.8% | -8.5% | $5.0M |
| 0301.99.2000 | Yellow tail | $10K | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.4091 | Red seabream (Pagrus major) | $137 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.4099 | Other | $47K | 0.1% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.5000 | Conger eel | $13.1M | 23.2% | -19.8% | $1.3M |
| 0301.99.6000 | Sharp toothed eel | $440K | 0.8% | -27.2% | $28K |
| 0301.99.7000 | Hagfish | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.8000 | Flat fish (Pleuronectidae, Bothidae, Cynoglossidae, Soleidae, Scophthalmidae and Citharidae) | $41.1M | 72.7% | -4.7% | $3.5M |
| 0301.99.9010 | True bass | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.9020 | Puffers | $3,201 | 0.0% | -90.2% | $0 |
| 0301.99.9040 | Rock fish (including pacific ocean perch) | $236K | 0.4% | -35.9% | $384 |
| 0301.99.9059 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.9060 | Mullets | $69K | 0.1% | -65.9% | $0 |
| 0301.99.9070 | Loaches | $62K | 0.1% | -31.9% | $2,598 |
| 0301.99.9092 | Crusian carp (Other than Carassius spp.) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.9095 | Croakers (other than Argyrosomus japonicus and Sciaenops ocellatus) | $818 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0301.99.9099 | Other | $1.4M | 2.6% | +48.5% | $130K |
Six-digit codes are international; the indented ten-digit codes are South Korea's own subdivision. These rows are world totals; "Share" is the share of the row above.
Top destinations
Export value over the 12 months to October 2026. 17 countries received this product from South Korea in the last 24 months.
| Rank | Country | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | Rank before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | $32.5M | 57.5% | -14.4% | 1 | $2.6M |
| 2 | United States | $16.3M | 28.8% | +4.0% | 2 | $1.6M |
| 3 | Vietnam | $5.6M | 9.8% | -3.2% | 3 | $581K |
| 4 | Canada | $637K | 1.1% | +2.9% | 5 | $82K |
| 5 | Singapore | $451K | 0.8% | +2.6% | 6 | $32K |
| 6 | Taiwan | $318K | 0.6% | +13.7% | 7 | $39K |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates | $196K | 0.3% | -17.9% | 8 | $14K |
| 8 | Malaysia | $192K | 0.3% | -6.3% | 9 | $2,033 |
| 9 | Hong Kong | $172K | 0.3% | -81.2% | 4 | $17K |
| 10 | Thailand | $104K | 0.2% | -48.6% | 10 | $1,880 |
| 11 | Philippines | $99K | 0.2% | -21.6% | 11 | $10K |
| 12 | Indonesia | $25K | 0.0% | -60.2% | 12 | $7,516 |
| 13 | Cambodia | $4,490 | 0.0% | -86.4% | 13 | $0 |
| 14 | Russia | $4,402 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 15 | China | $4,197 | 0.0% | – | 15 | $0 |
| – | Germany | $0 | 0.0% | – | 14 | $0 |
| – | Macao | $0 | 0.0% | – | 16 | $0 |
Countries are linked when exports of this product to them reached $5,000,000 over 24 months.
Monthly figures
| Month | Exports | vs year earlier | Export weight | Export $/kg | Imports | Import weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $5.0M | -9.8% | 255 t | $19.53 | $19.7M | 2,574 t |
| September 2026 | $5.0M | -5.9% | 299 t | $16.65 | $19.1M | 2,685 t |
| August 2026 | $4.8M | -6.9% | 306 t | $15.55 | $17.3M | 2,579 t |
| July 2026 | $4.3M | -12.2% | 291 t | $14.81 | $18.7M | 2,751 t |
| June 2026 | $4.2M | -5.2% | 281 t | $15.10 | $18.6M | 2,652 t |
| May 2026 | $3.8M | -21.8% | 252 t | $15.02 | $17.9M | 2,421 t |
| April 2026 | $4.5M | -9.8% | 313 t | $14.50 | $24.2M | 2,848 t |
| March 2026 | $4.6M | -5.0% | 326 t | $14.22 | $27.7M | 2,645 t |
| February 2026 | $4.2M | +1.1% | 276 t | $15.40 | $22.8M | 2,340 t |
| January 2026 | $4.8M | -10.6% | 326 t | $14.60 | $23.8M | 2,670 t |
| December 2025 | $6.5M | -12.7% | 462 t | $13.95 | $44.9M | 4,404 t |
| November 2025 | $4.9M | -11.6% | 346 t | $14.29 | $29.6M | 3,283 t |
| October 2025 | $5.5M | -11.3% | 366 t | $15.09 | $17.2M | 2,505 t |
| September 2025 | $5.3M | -7.5% | 354 t | $14.94 | $19.4M | 2,940 t |
| August 2025 | $5.1M | +0.7% | 344 t | $14.90 | $18.6M | 2,705 t |
| July 2025 | $4.9M | -1.2% | 330 t | $14.86 | $19.5M | 2,727 t |
| June 2025 | $4.5M | +6.6% | 293 t | $15.29 | $18.8M | 2,458 t |
| May 2025 | $4.8M | +7.2% | 289 t | $16.76 | $20.3M | 2,695 t |
| April 2025 | $5.0M | +14.5% | 322 t | $15.62 | $25.2M | 2,608 t |
| March 2025 | $4.9M | +13.7% | 345 t | $14.17 | $40.7M | 2,303 t |
| February 2025 | $4.2M | -10.8% | 274 t | $15.32 | $67.3M | 2,400 t |
| January 2025 | $5.3M | +7.3% | 352 t | $15.13 | $38.9M | 2,604 t |
| December 2024 | $7.4M | +14.5% | 463 t | $15.97 | $35.4M | 4,071 t |
| November 2024 | $5.6M | -0.6% | 355 t | $15.76 | $25.5M | 3,211 t |
Exports FOB, imports CIF, US dollars. Weight is net weight. "vs year earlier" compares export value with the same month one year before and is left blank when that month was under $10,000. Source: Korea Customs Service, via data.go.kr.