Cocoa and cocoa preparations: South Korea exports and imports
HS chapter 18 · 코코아와 그 조제품 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $8.0 million of cocoa and cocoa preparations (HS 18), up 9.8% from September 2026 and up 3.4% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of cocoa and cocoa preparations (HS 18) totalled $81.0 million, down 19.4% from the 12 months before ($100.4 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Japan ($41.4 million, 51.2% of the total), followed by China and Hong Kong.
That was 0.0% of South Korea's total goods exports over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $53.9 million (up 3.4% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $45.9 million for the month.
Last 24 months
Headings under chapter 18
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1806 | Chocolate and cocoa preparations | $78.9M | 97.5% | -17.6% | $8.0M |
| 1803 | Cocoa paste, whether or not defatted | $1.1M | 1.4% | -65.5% | $0 |
| 1805 | Cocoa powder, not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter | $938K | 1.2% | -33.0% | $7,556 |
| 1804 | Cocoa butter, fat and oil | $13K | 0.0% | -66.6% | $0 |
| 1801 | Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 1802 | Cocoa shells, husks, skins and other cocoa waste | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
Top destinations
Export value over the 12 months to October 2026. 97 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 | $41.4M | 51.2% | -38.5% | 1 | $4.2M |
| 2 | China | $18.0M | 22.2% | +72.2% | 2 | $2.2M |
| 3 | Hong Kong | $3.5M | 4.3% | +13.7% | 5 | $295K |
| 4 | Philippines | $2.9M | 3.5% | +0.6% | 6 | $106K |
| 5 | Russia | $2.8M | 3.4% | -23.6% | 3 | $81K |
| 6 | Vietnam | $2.3M | 2.9% | -32.3% | 4 | $87K |
| 7 | United States | $2.0M | 2.4% | +32.2% | 8 | $110K |
| 8 | Thailand | $1.7M | 2.1% | +89.1% | 9 | $79K |
| 9 | Taiwan | $1.4M | 1.7% | -31.0% | 7 | $104K |
| 10 | Mongolia | $1.3M | 1.7% | +67.1% | 10 | $259K |
| 11 | Singapore | $872K | 1.1% | +55.8% | 13 | $149K |
| 12 | Malaysia | $819K | 1.0% | +8.9% | 11 | $101K |
| 13 | Mexico | $395K | 0.5% | -44.3% | 12 | $119K |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | $294K | 0.4% | -43.6% | 14 | $0 |
| 15 | Australia | $158K | 0.2% | -46.4% | 15 | $15K |
| 16 | Guam | $146K | 0.2% | -35.1% | 17 | $4,991 |
| 17 | Canada | $109K | 0.1% | -1.8% | 19 | $13K |
| 18 | Türkiye | $104K | 0.1% | -2.5% | 20 | $180 |
| 19 | Cambodia | $102K | 0.1% | +656.2% | 35 | $26K |
| 20 | Sri Lanka | $69K | 0.1% | -17.1% | 22 | $3,165 |
Countries are linked when exports of this product to them reached $1,000,000 over 24 months.
Monthly figures
| Month | Exports | vs year earlier | Export weight | Export $/kg | Imports | Import weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $8.0M | +3.4% | 2,324 t | $3.45 | $53.9M | 6,158 t |
| September 2026 | $7.3M | -10.6% | 2,180 t | $3.35 | $46.7M | 5,495 t |
| August 2026 | $5.5M | -14.5% | 1,502 t | $3.69 | $35.7M | 4,803 t |
| July 2026 | $5.8M | -26.7% | 1,854 t | $3.10 | $36.1M | 4,222 t |
| June 2026 | $5.8M | -6.5% | 1,602 t | $3.65 | $39.9M | 4,698 t |
| May 2026 | $6.2M | -30.8% | 1,619 t | $3.82 | $45.8M | 5,704 t |
| April 2026 | $6.4M | -31.6% | 1,566 t | $4.11 | $35.6M | 4,427 t |
| March 2026 | $6.8M | -25.3% | 1,476 t | $4.63 | $50.4M | 5,956 t |
| February 2026 | $5.5M | -32.0% | 1,547 t | $3.57 | $48.3M | 4,806 t |
| January 2026 | $7.4M | -7.5% | 2,061 t | $3.61 | $57.0M | 5,957 t |
| December 2025 | $8.5M | -14.8% | 2,241 t | $3.78 | $57.3M | 5,781 t |
| November 2025 | $7.6M | -26.1% | 2,113 t | $3.60 | $48.1M | 4,619 t |
| October 2025 | $7.8M | -13.0% | 1,991 t | $3.90 | $52.2M | 5,482 t |
| September 2025 | $8.2M | +18.7% | 2,482 t | $3.29 | $58.4M | 6,149 t |
| August 2025 | $6.5M | +8.9% | 1,686 t | $3.85 | $48.8M | 4,783 t |
| July 2025 | $7.9M | +44.3% | 2,271 t | $3.46 | $46.9M | 5,069 t |
| June 2025 | $6.3M | +19.2% | 2,003 t | $3.12 | $50.7M | 5,430 t |
| May 2025 | $8.9M | +47.2% | 2,366 t | $3.77 | $46.2M | 4,844 t |
| April 2025 | $9.4M | +100.7% | 2,662 t | $3.53 | $56.9M | 5,687 t |
| March 2025 | $9.2M | +64.1% | 2,610 t | $3.51 | $47.3M | 5,138 t |
| February 2025 | $8.1M | +84.8% | 2,704 t | $3.00 | $54.7M | 6,060 t |
| January 2025 | $8.0M | +63.5% | 2,334 t | $3.45 | $55.7M | 6,203 t |
| December 2024 | $9.9M | +94.5% | 2,721 t | $3.65 | $57.4M | 6,726 t |
| November 2024 | $10.3M | +74.2% | 3,179 t | $3.24 | $49.8M | 5,951 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.