Salt and pure sodium chloride, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 2501 · 소금(식탁염과 변성염을 포함한다), 순염화나트륨[수용액(水溶液)인지 또는 고결(固結)방지제나 유동제를 첨가한 것인지에 상관없다]과 바닷물 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $1.0 million of salt and pure sodium chloride, etc. (HS 2501), up 7.2% from September 2026 and up 50.8% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of salt and pure sodium chloride, etc. (HS 2501) totalled $20.5 million, up 105.4% from the 12 months before ($10.0 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($13.4 million, 65.4% of the total), followed by Vietnam and Japan.
That was 2.3% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 25 (salt, sulphur, stone, lime and cement) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $20.0 million (down 4.7% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $19.0 million for the month.
Official description of HS 2501: Salt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing added anti-caking or free-flowing agents; sea water.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 2501
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2501.00 | Salt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containin | $20.5M | 100.0% | +105.4% | $1.0M |
| 2501.00.1010 | Rock salt | $25K | 0.1% | -2.0% | $2,039 |
| 2501.00.1020 | Sea salt made by the heat of the sun | $1.4M | 6.8% | +30.3% | $89K |
| 2501.00.9010 | Edible salt | $14.8M | 72.1% | +159.2% | $586K |
| 2501.00.9020 | Pure sodium chloride | $259K | 1.3% | -11.7% | $22K |
| 2501.00.9090 | Other | $4.1M | 19.7% | +39.8% | $347K |
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 | $13.4M | 65.4% | +276.1% | 1 | $501K |
| 2 | Vietnam | $1.9M | 9.1% | +114.8% | 3 | $53K |
| 3 | Japan | $1.3M | 6.2% | -19.0% | 2 | $101K |
| 4 | China | $664K | 3.2% | -7.8% | 4 | $12K |
| 5 | Canada | $411K | 2.0% | +4.1% | 5 | $50K |
| 6 | Philippines | $380K | 1.9% | +21.2% | 6 | $100K |
| 7 | Australia | $312K | 1.5% | +13.8% | 7 | $12K |
| 8 | Taiwan | $311K | 1.5% | +28.4% | 8 | $7,714 |
| 9 | Singapore | $244K | 1.2% | +3.1% | 9 | $9,450 |
| 10 | Malaysia | $222K | 1.1% | +12.0% | 10 | $14K |
| 11 | United Arab Emirates | $141K | 0.7% | +137.6% | 22 | $43K |
| 12 | Hong Kong | $131K | 0.6% | +30.8% | 15 | $21K |
| 13 | Spain | $118K | 0.6% | – | – | $0 |
| 14 | Tuvalu | $113K | 0.5% | -37.9% | 11 | $21K |
| 15 | Kazakhstan | $112K | 0.5% | -9.0% | 13 | $1,184 |
| 16 | Thailand | $109K | 0.5% | +0.2% | 14 | $46K |
| 17 | New Zealand | $89K | 0.4% | +7.7% | 18 | $14K |
| 18 | Vanuatu | $78K | 0.4% | -17.4% | 16 | $0 |
| 19 | Mongolia | $78K | 0.4% | +6.9% | 20 | $9,884 |
| 20 | Netherlands | $67K | 0.3% | +136.7% | 26 | $1,079 |
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 | $1.0M | +50.8% | 3,205 t | $0.33 | $20.0M | 436,137 t |
| September 2026 | $976K | +24.6% | 4,168 t | $0.23 | $26.1M | 600,382 t |
| August 2026 | $731K | -2.9% | 4,262 t | $0.17 | $18.1M | 438,942 t |
| July 2026 | $731K | +33.3% | 2,811 t | $0.26 | $19.1M | 413,345 t |
| June 2026 | $743K | -7.7% | 2,450 t | $0.30 | $23.2M | 488,949 t |
| May 2026 | $2.7M | +217.0% | 2,713 t | $0.98 | $14.1M | 319,977 t |
| April 2026 | $3.0M | +154.5% | 2,361 t | $1.29 | $10.0M | 183,328 t |
| March 2026 | $4.0M | +490.1% | 4,117 t | $0.97 | $18.0M | 386,909 t |
| February 2026 | $2.3M | +107.4% | 3,057 t | $0.75 | $16.7M | 376,114 t |
| January 2026 | $1.2M | +77.2% | 1,554 t | $0.76 | $19.4M | 390,389 t |
| December 2025 | $2.2M | +120.9% | 2,150 t | $1.00 | $27.1M | 638,716 t |
| November 2025 | $965K | +1.1% | 3,078 t | $0.31 | $19.6M | 463,315 t |
| October 2025 | $693K | -15.0% | 1,723 t | $0.40 | $21.0M | 455,563 t |
| September 2025 | $783K | -11.0% | 2,716 t | $0.29 | $28.5M | 687,248 t |
| August 2025 | $752K | -36.7% | 3,111 t | $0.24 | $14.1M | 295,599 t |
| July 2025 | $548K | -36.8% | 2,598 t | $0.21 | $16.5M | 380,197 t |
| June 2025 | $805K | -6.5% | 2,208 t | $0.36 | $17.3M | 385,174 t |
| May 2025 | $840K | -14.0% | 3,426 t | $0.25 | $21.5M | 424,605 t |
| April 2025 | $1.2M | +17.8% | 5,092 t | $0.23 | $23.4M | 456,874 t |
| March 2025 | $680K | -24.9% | 3,630 t | $0.19 | $24.9M | 511,505 t |
| February 2025 | $1.1M | +36.6% | 4,120 t | $0.27 | $18.3M | 396,370 t |
| January 2025 | $668K | -30.2% | 4,824 t | $0.14 | $29.1M | 590,859 t |
| December 2024 | $975K | -1.3% | 5,086 t | $0.19 | $26.1M | 471,255 t |
| November 2024 | $954K | -37.5% | 5,872 t | $0.16 | $19.8M | 381,554 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.