Vegetable waxes, beeswax, other insect waxes and spermaceti, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 1521 · 식물성 왁스[트리글리세라이드(triglyceride)는 제외한다]ㆍ밀랍(蜜蠟)과 그 밖의 곤충 왁스ㆍ고래 왁스(정제했는지 또는 착색했는지에 상관없다) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $49,025 of vegetable waxes, beeswax, other insect waxes and spermaceti, etc. (HS 1521), up 135.8% from September 2026 and up 2.1% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of vegetable waxes, beeswax, other insect waxes and spermaceti, etc. (HS 1521) totalled $1.1 million, up 149.4% from the 12 months before ($443,112).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Cuba ($511,604, 46.3% of the total), followed by China and the United States.
That was 0.3% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 15 (animal or vegetable fats and oils) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $859,163 (up 113.0% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $810,138 for the month.
Official description of HS 1521: Vegetable waxes (other than triglycerides), beeswax, other insect waxes and spermaceti, whether or not refined or coloured.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 1521
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1521.10 | Vegetable waxes | $498K | 45.0% | +51.0% | $38K |
| 1521.10.1000 | Carnauba wax | $394K | 79.2% | +75.6% | $34K |
| 1521.10.2000 | Palm wax | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1521.10.9000 | Other | $104K | 20.8% | -1.5% | $3,129 |
| 1521.90 | Other | $607K | 55.0% | +435.8% | $11K |
| 1521.90.1000 | Spermaceti | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1521.90.2000 | Beeswax | $604K | 99.4% | +451.0% | $11K |
| 1521.90.9000 | Other | $3,942 | 0.6% | – | $0 |
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. 15 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 | Cuba | $512K | 46.3% | – | – | $0 |
| 2 | China | $258K | 23.3% | -8.1% | 1 | $16K |
| 3 | United States | $165K | 15.0% | +108.5% | 2 | $8,704 |
| 4 | Indonesia | $66K | 6.0% | +371.1% | 4 | $20K |
| 5 | Hong Kong | $52K | 4.7% | +16.5% | 3 | $0 |
| 6 | Vietnam | $38K | 3.4% | +193.8% | 5 | $3,098 |
| 7 | Thailand | $10K | 0.9% | – | 6 | $290 |
| 8 | Uzbekistan | $3,811 | 0.3% | – | 8 | $0 |
| 9 | Japan | $942 | 0.1% | – | 10 | $0 |
| 10 | Bangladesh | $291 | 0.0% | – | 9 | $0 |
| 11 | New Zealand | $17 | 0.0% | – | – | $17 |
| 12 | Singapore | $14 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 13 | Poland | $12 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| – | France | $0 | 0.0% | – | 11 | $0 |
| – | India | $0 | 0.0% | – | 7 | $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 | $49K | +2.1% | 1.7 t | $28.40 | $859K | 63.7 t |
| September 2026 | $21K | -24.5% | 670 kg | $31.03 | $592K | 46.9 t |
| August 2026 | $29K | -56.1% | 1.0 t | $29.00 | $581K | 60.4 t |
| July 2026 | $573K | +1,159% | 4.3 t | $132.71 | $1.4M | 137 t |
| June 2026 | $50K | +24.8% | 1.5 t | $33.32 | $629K | 52.5 t |
| May 2026 | $35K | +138.4% | 1.6 t | $21.72 | $655K | 57.9 t |
| April 2026 | $80K | +133.2% | 3.8 t | $21.09 | $730K | 77.7 t |
| March 2026 | $36K | +20.2% | 1.4 t | $25.73 | $1.1M | 76.5 t |
| February 2026 | $38K | +14.3% | 2.6 t | $14.95 | $503K | 50.8 t |
| January 2026 | $49K | +32.4% | 7.7 t | $6.41 | $1.0M | 93.3 t |
| December 2025 | $76K | +215.8% | 2.9 t | $26.32 | $1.2M | 161 t |
| November 2025 | $69K | +63.7% | 4.1 t | $16.65 | $831K | 86.4 t |
| October 2025 | $48K | +98.0% | 3.8 t | $12.74 | $403K | 37.3 t |
| September 2025 | $28K | – | 975 kg | $28.22 | $1.0M | 93.6 t |
| August 2025 | $66K | +237.4% | 6.7 t | $9.84 | $729K | 66.9 t |
| July 2025 | $45K | +87.8% | 2.0 t | $23.26 | $807K | 83.2 t |
| June 2025 | $40K | +38.2% | 2.1 t | $18.72 | $746K | 69.0 t |
| May 2025 | $15K | -41.4% | 3.0 t | $4.85 | $1.1M | 122 t |
| April 2025 | $34K | +95.1% | 1.5 t | $22.55 | $547K | 62.4 t |
| March 2025 | $30K | -56.2% | 2.5 t | $11.92 | $346K | 46.8 t |
| February 2025 | $34K | -42.7% | 2.1 t | $15.61 | $275K | 28.1 t |
| January 2025 | $37K | -25.7% | 3.2 t | $11.57 | $769K | 92.4 t |
| December 2024 | $24K | +47.9% | 1.5 t | $16.48 | $711K | 74.7 t |
| November 2024 | $42K | -33.0% | 6.4 t | $6.64 | $675K | 39.9 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.