Seaweeds and other algae, locust beans, sugar beet and sugar cane: South Korea exports and imports
HS 1212 · 로커스트콩(locust bean)ㆍ해초류와 그 밖의 조류(藻類)ㆍ사탕무와 사탕수수(신선한 것ㆍ냉장한 것ㆍ냉동한 것ㆍ건조한 것으로서 잘게 부수었는지에 상관없다), 주로 식용에 적합한 과실의 핵(核)과 그 밖의 식물성 생산품[볶지 않은 시코리엄 인티부스 새티범(Cichorium intybus sativum) 변종의 치커리(chicory) 뿌리를 포함한다]으로서 따로 분류되지 않은 것 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $42.5 million of seaweeds and other algae, locust beans, sugar beet and sugar cane (HS 1212), up 41.5% from September 2026 and up 34.3% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of seaweeds and other algae, locust beans, sugar beet and sugar cane (HS 1212) totalled $527.0 million, down 4.9% from the 12 months before ($554.0 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Japan ($128.0 million, 24.3% of the total), followed by China and Thailand.
That was 80.2% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 12 (oil seeds, grains, seeds and medicinal plants) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $4.3 million (up 77.0% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $38.1 million for the month.
Official description of HS 1212: Locust beans, seaweeds and other algae, sugar beet and sugar cane, fresh, chilled, frozen or dried, whether or not ground; fruit stones and kernels and other vegetable products (including unroasted chicory roots of the variety Cichorium intybus sativum) of a kind used primarily for human consumption, not elsewhere specified or included.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 1212
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1212.21 | Fit for human consumption | $526.4M | 99.9% | -4.9% | $42.4M |
| 1212.21.1010 | Dried | $455.2M | 86.5% | -5.8% | $35.6M |
| 1212.21.1020 | Chilled | $6,251 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.1030 | Frozen | $221 | 0.0% | -100.0% | $0 |
| 1212.21.1090 | Other | $1.4M | 0.3% | +3.0% | $325K |
| 1212.21.2010 | Dried | $33.5M | 6.4% | +13.2% | $2.5M |
| 1212.21.2020 | Salted | $5.7M | 1.1% | -14.3% | $425K |
| 1212.21.2030 | Chilled | $12K | 0.0% | -58.1% | $0 |
| 1212.21.2040 | Frozen | $6.3M | 1.2% | +3.7% | $95K |
| 1212.21.2090 | Other | $758K | 0.1% | -29.8% | $631 |
| 1212.21.3010 | Dried | $13.8M | 2.6% | -9.9% | $1.7M |
| 1212.21.3020 | Chilled | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.3030 | Frozen | $1,396 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.3090 | Other | $73K | 0.0% | -57.9% | $382 |
| 1212.21.4010 | Fresh | $76K | 0.0% | +79.2% | $0 |
| 1212.21.4020 | Chilled | $1,582 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.4030 | Frozen | $32K | 0.0% | -50.6% | $1,287 |
| 1212.21.4090 | Other | $757K | 0.1% | +1.8% | $70K |
| 1212.21.5010 | Salted | $889K | 0.2% | +11.0% | $163K |
| 1212.21.5020 | Chilled | $251 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.5030 | Frozen | $29K | 0.0% | -24.0% | $2,956 |
| 1212.21.5090 | Other | $5.5M | 1.0% | +11.6% | $1.1M |
| 1212.21.6090 | Other | $958K | 0.2% | +8.2% | $379K |
| 1212.21.7019 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.7029 | Other | $303K | 0.1% | +134.5% | $0 |
| 1212.21.7039 | Other | $5,955 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.8029 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.8031 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.8039 | Other | $14K | 0.0% | -11.2% | $0 |
| 1212.21.9011 | Frozen | $3,902 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.9019 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.21.9091 | Frozen | $47K | 0.0% | +108.0% | $8,082 |
| 1212.21.9099 | Other | $1.1M | 0.2% | -27.5% | $13K |
| 1212.29 | Other | $566K | 0.1% | +19.4% | $79K |
| 1212.29.1010 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.1090 | Other | $86K | 15.2% | +51.3% | $7,036 |
| 1212.29.2010 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.2090 | Other | $373K | 65.9% | +28.9% | $65K |
| 1212.29.3090 | Other | $4,111 | 0.7% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.4010 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.4090 | Other | $5,784 | 1.0% | – | $73 |
| 1212.29.5010 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.5090 | Other | $57K | 10.2% | +25.2% | $2,398 |
| 1212.29.6090 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.7019 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.7029 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | -100.0% | $0 |
| 1212.29.8019 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.8029 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.8039 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.9019 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.9091 | Frozen | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.29.9099 | Other | $40K | 7.0% | -26.2% | $4,249 |
| 1212.91 | Sugar beet | $129 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.92 | Locust beans(carob) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.93 | Sugar cane | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.94 | Chicory roots | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.99 | Other | $87K | 0.0% | -63.3% | $1,605 |
| 1212.99.2000 | Konjac | $14K | 16.3% | – | $1,471 |
| 1212.99.3000 | Pollen | $25K | 28.6% | -26.3% | $0 |
| 1212.99.6000 | Apricot, peach (including nectarine) or plum stones and kernels | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1212.99.9000 | Other | $48K | 55.0% | -75.4% | $134 |
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. 104 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 | Japan | $128.0M | 24.3% | -24.3% | 1 | $11.4M |
| 2 | China | $91.1M | 17.3% | -6.8% | 2 | $9.0M |
| 3 | Thailand | $87.7M | 16.6% | +0.2% | 3 | $1.8M |
| 4 | Russia | $87.4M | 16.6% | +14.6% | 4 | $8.2M |
| 5 | Taiwan | $31.2M | 5.9% | -4.5% | 5 | $1.5M |
| 6 | Vietnam | $25.7M | 4.9% | +12.3% | 7 | $2.8M |
| 7 | United States | $23.4M | 4.4% | -0.2% | 6 | $1.8M |
| 8 | Indonesia | $22.6M | 4.3% | +10.6% | 8 | $3.4M |
| 9 | Lithuania | $3.6M | 0.7% | +13.2% | 10 | $119K |
| 10 | Mexico | $3.3M | 0.6% | +264.2% | 17 | $231K |
| 11 | Philippines | $3.0M | 0.6% | +72.3% | 13 | $333K |
| 12 | Singapore | $2.5M | 0.5% | -37.5% | 9 | $12K |
| 13 | Kazakhstan | $2.3M | 0.4% | +6.1% | 12 | $0 |
| 14 | Mongolia | $2.2M | 0.4% | +0.6% | 11 | $52K |
| 15 | Türkiye | $1.8M | 0.3% | +16.1% | 14 | $275K |
| 16 | Brazil | $1.3M | 0.2% | +306.6% | 26 | $282K |
| 17 | Australia | $1.2M | 0.2% | +1.1% | 15 | $78K |
| 18 | Canada | $1.2M | 0.2% | +3.5% | 16 | $42K |
| 19 | France | $1.1M | 0.2% | +159.1% | 21 | $368K |
| 20 | Netherlands | $961K | 0.2% | +25.5% | 18 | $18K |
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 | $42.5M | +34.3% | 2,270 t | $18.72 | $4.3M | 1,473 t |
| September 2026 | $30.0M | -20.4% | 1,680 t | $17.87 | $4.2M | 1,417 t |
| August 2026 | $36.2M | -15.1% | 1,673 t | $21.66 | $2.8M | 1,137 t |
| July 2026 | $37.9M | -46.1% | 1,795 t | $21.10 | $3.6M | 1,244 t |
| June 2026 | $71.8M | +35.6% | 3,006 t | $23.90 | $3.8M | 1,255 t |
| May 2026 | $38.0M | -27.9% | 2,263 t | $16.78 | $3.7M | 1,250 t |
| April 2026 | $55.2M | -6.1% | 4,576 t | $12.07 | $4.7M | 1,365 t |
| March 2026 | $61.5M | +16.5% | 5,492 t | $11.19 | $4.3M | 1,185 t |
| February 2026 | $37.9M | -31.3% | 1,811 t | $20.94 | $6.5M | 1,469 t |
| January 2026 | $50.6M | +14.5% | 2,377 t | $21.31 | $4.9M | 1,584 t |
| December 2025 | $35.0M | +12.6% | 1,714 t | $20.43 | $5.0M | 1,473 t |
| November 2025 | $30.2M | +27.2% | 1,668 t | $18.13 | $4.2M | 1,479 t |
| October 2025 | $31.7M | +9.0% | 1,780 t | $17.78 | $2.5M | 850 t |
| September 2025 | $37.7M | +64.0% | 1,751 t | $21.53 | $3.3M | 1,090 t |
| August 2025 | $42.7M | +39.0% | 1,662 t | $25.70 | $2.9M | 838 t |
| July 2025 | $70.3M | +28.8% | 2,537 t | $27.72 | $6.1M | 2,452 t |
| June 2025 | $53.0M | -6.5% | 2,251 t | $23.54 | $3.3M | 1,478 t |
| May 2025 | $52.6M | -2.3% | 3,051 t | $17.26 | $4.7M | 2,029 t |
| April 2025 | $58.8M | +2.3% | 5,746 t | $10.24 | $4.3M | 1,526 t |
| March 2025 | $52.8M | +7.1% | 4,352 t | $12.12 | $6.1M | 1,704 t |
| February 2025 | $55.2M | +100.9% | 2,710 t | $20.39 | $4.4M | 1,338 t |
| January 2025 | $44.2M | +9.9% | 2,030 t | $21.78 | $6.0M | 1,381 t |
| December 2024 | $31.1M | +57.8% | 1,480 t | $21.01 | $4.6M | 1,274 t |
| November 2024 | $23.8M | +3.1% | 1,445 t | $16.46 | $4.7M | 1,291 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.