Ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 0910 · 생강ㆍ사프란(saffron)ㆍ심황[강황(薑黃)]ㆍ타임(thyme)ㆍ월계수 잎ㆍ카레와 그 밖의 향신료 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $106,883 of ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices, etc. (HS 0910), down 12.1% from September 2026 and up 182.7% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices, etc. (HS 0910) totalled $488,778, down 9.5% from the 12 months before ($540,295).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($290,684, 59.5% of the total), followed by Russia and the United States.
That was 1.1% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea and spices) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $816,705 (down 7.0% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $709,822 for the month.
Official description of HS 0910: Ginger, saffron, turmeric (curcuma), thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 0910
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0910.11 | Neither crushed nor ground | $584 | 0.1% | -98.1% | $0 |
| 0910.11.1000 | Fresh or chilled | $341 | 58.4% | -96.9% | $0 |
| 0910.11.2000 | Dried | $224 | 38.4% | -98.9% | $0 |
| 0910.11.3000 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0910.11.9000 | Other | $19 | 3.3% | – | $0 |
| 0910.12 | Crushed or ground | $48K | 9.9% | -35.9% | $4,009 |
| 0910.12.1000 | Fresh or chilled | $410 | 0.9% | – | $109 |
| 0910.12.2000 | Dried | $38K | 77.9% | -40.5% | $3,240 |
| 0910.12.3000 | Frozen | $656 | 1.4% | – | $393 |
| 0910.12.9000 | Other | $9,586 | 19.9% | – | $267 |
| 0910.20 | Saffron | $116 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 0910.30 | Turmeric (curcuma) | $5,672 | 1.2% | -78.2% | $5,053 |
| 0910.91 | Mixtures referred to in Note 1 (b) to this Chapter | $378K | 77.3% | -1.7% | $97K |
| 0910.91.1000 | Curry | $360K | 95.4% | +39.4% | $95K |
| 0910.91.9000 | Other | $17K | 4.6% | -86.2% | $2,321 |
| 0910.99 | Other | $57K | 11.6% | +136.7% | $431 |
| 0910.99.1000 | Thyme; bay leaves | $3,725 | 6.6% | – | $406 |
| 0910.99.9000 | Other | $53K | 93.4% | +131.1% | $25 |
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. 31 countries received this product from South Korea in the last 24 months; the table shows the largest 20.
| Rank | Country | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | Rank before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $291K | 59.5% | +464.1% | 3 | $74K |
| 2 | Russia | $66K | 13.4% | +36.3% | 4 | $14K |
| 3 | United States | $35K | 7.2% | -81.5% | 1 | $4,798 |
| 4 | Australia | $22K | 4.6% | – | 12 | $135 |
| 5 | Canada | $21K | 4.2% | -33.8% | 5 | $4,313 |
| 6 | Qatar | $9,746 | 2.0% | -14.7% | 8 | $0 |
| 7 | Vietnam | $9,240 | 1.9% | -51.1% | 6 | $5,000 |
| 8 | France | $8,427 | 1.7% | -18.7% | 9 | $0 |
| 9 | Japan | $6,208 | 1.3% | – | 11 | $0 |
| 10 | Laos | $3,141 | 0.6% | – | 18 | $2,655 |
| 11 | Netherlands | $3,038 | 0.6% | -82.2% | 7 | $0 |
| 12 | Singapore | $2,614 | 0.5% | – | 17 | $7 |
| 13 | United Kingdom | $2,070 | 0.4% | – | 16 | $0 |
| 14 | Kuwait | $1,842 | 0.4% | – | 15 | $267 |
| 15 | Mexico | $1,362 | 0.3% | – | 13 | $0 |
| 16 | Germany | $1,051 | 0.2% | – | 23 | $1,051 |
| 17 | Hong Kong | $970 | 0.2% | – | 20 | $20 |
| 18 | Mongolia | $891 | 0.2% | – | 10 | $0 |
| 19 | Argentina | $786 | 0.2% | – | 14 | $786 |
| 20 | Philippines | $775 | 0.2% | -99.4% | 2 | $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 | $107K | +182.7% | 31.4 t | $3.40 | $817K | 328 t |
| September 2026 | $122K | +68.8% | 26.5 t | $4.59 | $829K | 376 t |
| August 2026 | $20K | -59.0% | 1.5 t | $13.17 | $839K | 362 t |
| July 2026 | $34K | -25.9% | 8.3 t | $4.03 | $705K | 328 t |
| June 2026 | $16K | -51.7% | 5.3 t | $3.12 | $1.1M | 542 t |
| May 2026 | $38K | +39.7% | 8.9 t | $4.24 | $970K | 434 t |
| April 2026 | $14K | -35.4% | 1.1 t | $12.70 | $2.5M | 1,859 t |
| March 2026 | $53K | +116.4% | 23.3 t | $2.28 | $1.2M | 684 t |
| February 2026 | $5,817 | -81.5% | 215 kg | $27.06 | $815K | 341 t |
| January 2026 | $63K | +130.0% | 4.8 t | $13.24 | $1.1M | 453 t |
| December 2025 | $6,819 | -95.0% | 469 kg | $14.54 | $1.1M | 381 t |
| November 2025 | $9,647 | -72.0% | 481 kg | $20.06 | $917K | 425 t |
| October 2025 | $38K | -25.4% | 8.6 t | $4.38 | $878K | 361 t |
| September 2025 | $72K | +302.5% | 1.7 t | $43.62 | $970K | 394 t |
| August 2025 | $49K | +102.2% | 939 kg | $51.84 | $2.0M | 1,207 t |
| July 2025 | $45K | +30.5% | 6.6 t | $6.86 | $1.3M | 582 t |
| June 2025 | $34K | -47.5% | 3.7 t | $9.18 | $1.2M | 487 t |
| May 2025 | $27K | +136.6% | 1.3 t | $20.36 | $1.2M | 526 t |
| April 2025 | $21K | -9.7% | 1.4 t | $14.75 | $3.1M | 1,922 t |
| March 2025 | $25K | +37.9% | 1.6 t | $15.00 | $1.4M | 618 t |
| February 2025 | $31K | -37.3% | 3.5 t | $9.07 | $1.2M | 397 t |
| January 2025 | $28K | +100.7% | 2.2 t | $12.74 | $1.7M | 1,079 t |
| December 2024 | $136K | +831.5% | 45.1 t | $3.01 | $757K | 275 t |
| November 2024 | $35K | +26.6% | 2.9 t | $11.86 | $1.0M | 367 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.