Prepared or preserved fish, caviar and substitutes: South Korea exports and imports
HS 1604 · 조제하거나 보존처리한 어류, 캐비어, 어란(魚卵)으로 조제한 캐비어 대용물 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $11.6 million of prepared or preserved fish, caviar and substitutes (HS 1604), up 0.7% from September 2026 and up 13.6% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of prepared or preserved fish, caviar and substitutes (HS 1604) totalled $122.0 million, up 4.3% from the 12 months before ($116.9 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($34.6 million, 28.4% of the total), followed by China and Japan.
That was 36.4% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 16 (preparations of meat, fish or seafood) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $22.8 million (up 16.8% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $11.2 million for the month.
Official description of HS 1604: Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 1604
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1604.11 | Salmon | $136K | 0.1% | -77.5% | $13K |
| 1604.11.1000 | In airtight containers | $44K | 32.5% | -63.2% | $919 |
| 1604.11.9000 | Other | $92K | 67.5% | -81.1% | $12K |
| 1604.12 | Herrings | $37K | 0.0% | -46.7% | $304 |
| 1604.12.1000 | In airtight containers | $241 | 0.7% | – | $0 |
| 1604.12.9000 | Other | $37K | 99.3% | -47.0% | $304 |
| 1604.13 | Sardines, sardinella and brisling or sprats | $394 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.13.1000 | In airtight containers | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.13.9000 | Other | $394 | 100.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.14 | Tunas, skipjack tuna and bonito (Sarda spp.) | $34.0M | 27.9% | +51.3% | $3.0M |
| 1604.14.1011 | In oil | $3.8M | 11.2% | +16.8% | $217K |
| 1604.14.1012 | Boiled | $476 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.14.1019 | Other | $6.3M | 18.5% | +47.4% | $366K |
| 1604.14.1021 | In oil | $13.5M | 39.6% | +31.2% | $1.2M |
| 1604.14.1029 | Other | $10.1M | 29.7% | +120.2% | $1.1M |
| 1604.14.1031 | In oil | $34K | 0.1% | – | $0 |
| 1604.14.1039 | Other | $4,203 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.14.9000 | Other | $299K | 0.9% | +310.7% | $5,409 |
| 1604.15 | Mackerel | $463K | 0.4% | -49.0% | $37K |
| 1604.15.1000 | In airtight containers | $426K | 92.1% | -49.1% | $35K |
| 1604.15.9000 | Other | $37K | 7.9% | -48.3% | $1,208 |
| 1604.16 | Anchovies | $2.5M | 2.1% | +25.6% | $576K |
| 1604.16.1000 | In airtight containers | $448K | 17.8% | +13.7% | $66K |
| 1604.16.9000 | Other | $2.1M | 82.2% | +28.5% | $510K |
| 1604.17 | Eels | $663K | 0.5% | +30.1% | $9,826 |
| 1604.17.1000 | In airtight containers | $163K | 24.6% | +841.4% | $2,484 |
| 1604.17.9000 | Other | $500K | 75.4% | +1.5% | $7,342 |
| 1604.18 | Shark fins | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.19 | Other | $5.3M | 4.3% | -31.8% | $353K |
| 1604.19.1010 | Saury | $650K | 12.3% | -24.6% | $41K |
| 1604.19.1020 | Jack and horse mackerel | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.19.1090 | Other | $365K | 6.9% | -33.8% | $104K |
| 1604.19.9010 | Jerk filefish | $693K | 13.1% | -21.9% | $47K |
| 1604.19.9090 | Other | $3.6M | 67.7% | -34.4% | $161K |
| 1604.20 | Other prepared or preserved fish | $71.9M | 59.0% | -4.5% | $7.1M |
| 1604.20.1000 | Fish pastes | $11K | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1604.20.2000 | Fish marinade | $387K | 0.5% | +345.5% | $0 |
| 1604.20.3000 | Fish sausages | $3.3M | 4.5% | -33.2% | $408K |
| 1604.20.4010 | Of crab flavor | $27.6M | 38.4% | +11.1% | $2.4M |
| 1604.20.4090 | Other | $29.6M | 41.1% | -11.6% | $3.2M |
| 1604.20.9000 | Other | $11.1M | 15.5% | -7.8% | $1.1M |
| 1604.31 | Caviar | $480K | 0.4% | +40.3% | $0 |
| 1604.32 | Caviar substitutes | $6.5M | 5.3% | -7.1% | $561K |
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. 95 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 | United States | $34.6M | 28.4% | +7.2% | 1 | $3.1M |
| 2 | China | $29.4M | 24.1% | +0.5% | 2 | $3.0M |
| 3 | Japan | $8.7M | 7.1% | +11.4% | 3 | $1.0M |
| 4 | Mongolia | $6.6M | 5.4% | +34.9% | 7 | $537K |
| 5 | Italy | $6.0M | 4.9% | +382.9% | 15 | $207K |
| 6 | Philippines | $5.4M | 4.4% | -0.3% | 4 | $662K |
| 7 | Canada | $4.7M | 3.9% | -5.9% | 6 | $454K |
| 8 | Vietnam | $4.7M | 3.9% | -6.5% | 5 | $459K |
| 9 | Australia | $3.7M | 3.0% | -4.1% | 9 | $373K |
| 10 | Thailand | $2.7M | 2.2% | +23.2% | 11 | $410K |
| 11 | Taiwan | $2.1M | 1.7% | -23.9% | 10 | $276K |
| 12 | Hong Kong | $1.8M | 1.5% | +13.6% | 14 | $235K |
| 13 | Kazakhstan | $1.5M | 1.2% | +122.2% | 19 | $34K |
| 14 | Germany | $1.4M | 1.2% | -19.9% | 13 | $0 |
| 15 | Cambodia | $1.1M | 0.9% | +250.0% | 24 | $61K |
| 16 | Türkiye | $922K | 0.8% | +40.8% | 20 | $45K |
| 17 | Russia | $893K | 0.7% | -24.7% | 16 | $133K |
| 18 | Singapore | $885K | 0.7% | +36.0% | 22 | $182K |
| 19 | United Kingdom | $783K | 0.6% | -17.8% | 17 | $81K |
| 20 | Indonesia | $766K | 0.6% | -61.0% | 12 | $3,733 |
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 | $11.6M | +13.6% | 2,218 t | $5.23 | $22.8M | 3,836 t |
| September 2026 | $11.5M | +3.9% | 2,188 t | $5.26 | $21.0M | 3,338 t |
| August 2026 | $9.3M | +20.2% | 1,822 t | $5.11 | $21.3M | 3,514 t |
| July 2026 | $10.4M | +1.1% | 1,972 t | $5.29 | $23.2M | 3,755 t |
| June 2026 | $9.8M | +3.0% | 2,042 t | $4.82 | $19.8M | 3,211 t |
| May 2026 | $9.6M | +10.7% | 1,964 t | $4.89 | $20.9M | 3,546 t |
| April 2026 | $10.4M | -2.8% | 2,150 t | $4.82 | $20.8M | 3,139 t |
| March 2026 | $11.0M | +16.0% | 2,231 t | $4.95 | $19.2M | 3,061 t |
| February 2026 | $8.4M | -21.7% | 1,828 t | $4.58 | $17.3M | 2,819 t |
| January 2026 | $9.9M | +26.1% | 2,010 t | $4.94 | $21.3M | 3,530 t |
| December 2025 | $9.8M | -3.8% | 1,814 t | $5.42 | $19.8M | 3,230 t |
| November 2025 | $10.1M | -2.2% | 1,995 t | $5.06 | $22.1M | 3,582 t |
| October 2025 | $10.2M | -0.6% | 1,974 t | $5.17 | $19.6M | 3,119 t |
| September 2025 | $11.1M | +13.0% | 2,166 t | $5.11 | $23.6M | 4,172 t |
| August 2025 | $7.7M | -26.0% | 1,592 t | $4.86 | $17.3M | 2,820 t |
| July 2025 | $10.3M | +1.9% | 1,968 t | $5.25 | $21.3M | 3,724 t |
| June 2025 | $9.6M | -8.5% | 1,944 t | $4.92 | $20.5M | 3,500 t |
| May 2025 | $8.7M | -21.9% | 1,691 t | $5.14 | $18.7M | 3,075 t |
| April 2025 | $10.7M | -8.0% | 2,168 t | $4.92 | $21.5M | 3,545 t |
| March 2025 | $9.5M | -21.6% | 2,084 t | $4.57 | $17.9M | 3,031 t |
| February 2025 | $10.7M | -1.0% | 2,235 t | $4.79 | $18.2M | 2,889 t |
| January 2025 | $7.9M | -31.9% | 1,635 t | $4.82 | $18.6M | 2,802 t |
| December 2024 | $10.2M | -4.9% | 2,050 t | $4.99 | $17.9M | 2,896 t |
| November 2024 | $10.3M | -15.7% | 1,994 t | $5.18 | $18.8M | 2,722 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.