Korea Trade Data

Ores, slag and ash: South Korea exports and imports

HS chapter 26 · 광(鑛)ㆍ슬래그(slag)ㆍ회(灰) · latest month: October 2026

Exports, October 2026
$53.5M
-28.1% vs previous month
vs same month a year earlier
+16.8%
export value
Exports, last 12 months
$732.5M
+16.6% vs 12 months before
Imports, October 2026
$1.95B
Export value per kg
$0.54
net weight, October 2026

In October 2026, South Korea exported $53.5 million of ores, slag and ash (HS 26), down 28.1% from September 2026 and up 16.8% from October 2025.

Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of ores, slag and ash (HS 26) totalled $732.5 million, up 16.6% from the 12 months before ($628.1 million).

The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($402.6 million, 55.0% of the total), followed by Japan and India.

That was 0.1% of South Korea's total goods exports over the same 12 months.

Imports in October 2026 were $1.95 billion (up 0.9% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $1.90 billion for the month.

Last 24 months

Monthly exportsExport value in US dollars (FOB).
$0M$25M$50M$75M$100MOct ’26May ’26Dec ’25Jul ’25Feb ’25November 2024: $65.2 millionDecember 2024: $75.3 millionJanuary 2025: $38.5 millionFebruary 2025: $32.4 millionMarch 2025: $70.4 millionApril 2025: $41.2 millionMay 2025: $42.3 millionJune 2025: $54.9 millionJuly 2025: $46.1 millionAugust 2025: $55.9 millionSeptember 2025: $59.9 millionOctober 2025: $45.8 millionNovember 2025: $78.6 millionDecember 2025: $73.5 millionJanuary 2026: $48.6 millionFebruary 2026: $47.9 millionMarch 2026: $55.5 millionApril 2026: $24.1 millionMay 2026: $63.4 millionJune 2026: $90.0 millionJuly 2026: $35.0 millionAugust 2026: $88.1 millionSeptember 2026: $74.3 millionOctober 2026: $53.5 million
Monthly importsImport value in US dollars (CIF).
$0B$1B$2B$3BOct ’26May ’26Dec ’25Jul ’25Feb ’25$1.95BNovember 2024: $1.36 billionDecember 2024: $1.55 billionJanuary 2025: $1.93 billionFebruary 2025: $1.32 billionMarch 2025: $1.61 billionApril 2025: $1.80 billionMay 2025: $1.45 billionJune 2025: $2.04 billionJuly 2025: $1.75 billionAugust 2025: $1.59 billionSeptember 2025: $1.88 billionOctober 2025: $1.94 billionNovember 2025: $1.69 billionDecember 2025: $1.85 billionJanuary 2026: $2.61 billionFebruary 2026: $1.69 billionMarch 2026: $2.20 billionApril 2026: $2.35 billionMay 2026: $1.99 billionJune 2026: $1.83 billionJuly 2026: $2.54 billionAugust 2026: $1.76 billionSeptember 2026: $2.26 billionOctober 2026: $1.95 billion

Headings under chapter 26

CodeProductExports, 12 monthsSharevs 12 months beforeOctober 2026
2603Copper ores and concentrates$305.1M 41.7%-15.5%$20.6M
2613Molybdenum ores and concentrates$217.6M 29.7%+51.1%$25.6M
2620Slag, ash and residues containing metals, arsenic or their compounds, etc.$81.4M 11.1%+125.6%$2.5M
2608Zinc ores and concentrates$60.4M 8.3%+64.5%$346K
2601Iron ores and concentrates$18.4M 2.5%+17.9%$1.6M
2614Titanium ores and concentrates$16.1M 2.2%-11.1%$2.0M
2611Tungsten ores and concentrates$10.4M 1.4%+1,310%$0
2618Granulated slag from the manufacture of iron or steel, etc.$6.5M 0.9%+8.5%$144K
2619Slag, dross, scalings and other waste from the manufacture of iron or steel, etc.$5.8M 0.8%+61.2%$488K
2615Niobium, tantalum, vanadium or zirconium ores and concentrates$5.0M 0.7%+9.5%$67K
2602Manganese ores and concentrates, etc.$3.8M 0.5%+4,501%$0
2604Nickel ores and concentrates$664K 0.1%+247.4%$0
2607Lead ores and concentrates$557K 0.1%+34.3%$61K
2606Aluminium ores and concentrates$430K 0.1%+111.2%$114K
2609Tin ores and concentrates$226K 0.0%+181.5%$0
2621Other slag and ash, including seaweed ash, etc.$13K 0.0%-35.0%$0
2610Chromium ores and concentrates$468 0.0%–$160
2617Other ores and concentrates$240 0.0%-99.9%$0
2616Precious metal ores and concentrates$7 0.0%–$6
2605Cobalt ores and concentrates$0 0.0%–$0
2612Uranium or thorium ores and concentrates$0 0.0%–$0

Top destinations

Export value over the 12 months to October 2026. 35 countries received this product from South Korea in the last 24 months; the table shows the largest 20.

RankCountryExports, 12 monthsSharevs 12 months before Rank beforeOctober 2026
1China $402.6M55.0%+1.1%1 $27.8M
2Japan $191.9M26.2%+36.5%2 $19.2M
3India $44.8M6.1%+197.6%4 $3.0M
4Belgium $29.1M4.0%–– $0
5Vietnam $23.7M3.2%+88.6%5 $1.8M
6Australia $13.5M1.8%-34.4%3 $0
7Malaysia $6.5M0.9%+529.3%13 $171K
8Germany $6.0M0.8%+25.9%10 $0
9Mexico $3.2M0.4%+463.9%14 $872K
10Taiwan $3.1M0.4%-47.8%8 $155K
11Indonesia $2.6M0.4%+154.1%12 $67K
12Thailand $2.3M0.3%-45.8%11 $384K
13United States $1.4M0.2%+2,058%18 $160
14Peru $642K0.1%–– $0
15Canada $467K0.1%+713.3%19 $15K
16Singapore $184K0.0%-97.9%6 $0
17Russia $163K0.0%-26.4%17 $0
18Philippines $90K0.0%+164.9%20 $0
19Sweden $74K0.0%-84.8%15 $0
20Cambodia $33K0.0%-92.1%16 $0

Countries are linked when exports of this product to them reached $1,000,000 over 24 months.

Monthly figures

MonthExportsvs year earlierExport weightExport $/kg ImportsImport weight
October 2026$53.5M+16.8%99,044 t $0.54$1.95B6,376,673 t
September 2026$74.3M+24.1%207,243 t $0.36$2.26B7,526,481 t
August 2026$88.1M+57.6%120,213 t $0.73$1.76B5,994,082 t
July 2026$35.0M-24.1%219,845 t $0.16$2.54B7,670,503 t
June 2026$90.0M+63.9%151,033 t $0.60$1.83B6,131,863 t
May 2026$63.4M+49.6%167,626 t $0.38$1.99B5,323,777 t
April 2026$24.1M-41.4%211,732 t $0.11$2.35B7,000,449 t
March 2026$55.5M-21.2%183,768 t $0.30$2.20B6,463,759 t
February 2026$47.9M+47.9%177,335 t $0.27$1.69B5,479,472 t
January 2026$48.6M+26.0%250,045 t $0.19$2.61B7,183,839 t
December 2025$73.5M-2.4%192,124 t $0.38$1.85B6,759,361 t
November 2025$78.6M+20.5%302,152 t $0.26$1.69B6,239,470 t
October 2025$45.8M+38.5%196,808 t $0.23$1.94B7,659,932 t
September 2025$59.9M-36.7%235,180 t $0.25$1.88B6,182,555 t
August 2025$55.9M-11.6%195,422 t $0.29$1.59B5,952,597 t
July 2025$46.1M-19.2%185,249 t $0.25$1.75B5,974,797 t
June 2025$54.9M-22.9%172,345 t $0.32$2.04B6,732,991 t
May 2025$42.3M-45.9%226,594 t $0.19$1.45B5,257,272 t
April 2025$41.2M-32.5%221,057 t $0.19$1.80B7,657,729 t
March 2025$70.4M-15.4%147,970 t $0.48$1.61B6,251,374 t
February 2025$32.4M-76.3%125,010 t $0.26$1.32B5,667,674 t
January 2025$38.5M-68.1%127,149 t $0.30$1.93B6,250,464 t
December 2024$75.3M-60.3%235,065 t $0.32$1.55B6,686,095 t
November 2024$65.2M-30.0%203,290 t $0.32$1.36B6,035,460 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.