Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes and their compounds, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 2844 · 방사성원소ㆍ방사성동위원소(핵분열성이나 연료핵친원소와 동위원소를 포함한다)와 이들의 화합물, 이들의 물품을 함유한 혼합물과 잔재물 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $1.1 million of radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes and their compounds, etc. (HS 2844), up 7.7% from September 2026 and up 37.8% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes and their compounds, etc. (HS 2844) totalled $16.4 million, up 74.7% from the 12 months before ($9.4 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($8.3 million, 50.8% of the total), followed by Vietnam and Japan.
That was 0.2% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 28 (inorganic chemicals) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $189.0 million (up 9.4% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $188.0 million for the month.
Official description of HS 2844: Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes) and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 2844
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2844.10 | Natural uranium and its compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing nat | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.10.1000 | Natural uranium | $0 | – | – | $0 |
| 2844.10.2000 | Dispersions (containing natural uranium or natural uranium compounds) | $0 | – | – | $0 |
| 2844.10.9000 | Other | $0 | – | – | $0 |
| 2844.20 | Uranium enriched in U235 and its compounds; plutonium and its compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), cerami | $8,100 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.20.1000 | Uranium enriched in U235 | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.20.2000 | Dispersions (containing uranium enriched in U235, plutonium or compounds of these products) | $8,100 | 100.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.20.9000 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.30 | Uranium depleted in U235 and its compounds; thorium and its compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic | $105K | 0.6% | +494.0% | $0 |
| 2844.30.1000 | Dispersions (containing uranium depleted in U235, thorium or compounds of these products) | $105K | 100.0% | +494.0% | $0 |
| 2844.30.9000 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.41 | Tritium and its compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing tritium or | $60K | 0.4% | – | $0 |
| 2844.42 | Actinium-225, actinium-227, californium-253, curium-240, curium- 241, curium-242, curium-243, curium-244, einsteinium-25 | $5.7M | 34.9% | – | $0 |
| 2844.43 | Other radioactive elements and isotopes and compounds; other alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products a | $10.5M | 64.1% | +12.3% | $1.1M |
| 2844.44 | Radioactive residues | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2844.50 | Spent (irradiated) fuel elements (cartridges) of nuclear reactors | $0 | 0.0% | – | $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. 27 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 | China | $8.3M | 50.8% | +268.3% | 2 | $194K |
| 2 | Vietnam | $3.5M | 21.4% | +43.9% | 1 | $378K |
| 3 | Japan | $1.8M | 11.0% | -18.3% | 3 | $26K |
| 4 | Malaysia | $469K | 2.9% | +19.4% | 6 | $42K |
| 5 | Taiwan | $458K | 2.8% | -5.1% | 5 | $47K |
| 6 | United States | $437K | 2.7% | +3,744% | 13 | $229K |
| 7 | Indonesia | $398K | 2.4% | +1.8% | 7 | $46K |
| 8 | Germany | $294K | 1.8% | -51.1% | 4 | $0 |
| 9 | Thailand | $223K | 1.4% | +15.3% | 9 | $46K |
| 10 | Singapore | $220K | 1.3% | +0.9% | 8 | $62K |
| 11 | United Arab Emirates | $93K | 0.6% | – | – | $0 |
| 12 | Mongolia | $59K | 0.4% | -6.3% | 11 | $3,676 |
| 13 | Switzerland | $32K | 0.2% | -63.0% | 10 | $0 |
| 14 | Canada | $27K | 0.2% | – | 21 | $0 |
| 15 | Hong Kong | $22K | 0.1% | +8.8% | 12 | $2,826 |
| 16 | Hungary | $4,353 | 0.0% | – | 22 | $0 |
| 17 | Netherlands | $3,921 | 0.0% | – | 15 | $237 |
| 18 | Philippines | $3,645 | 0.0% | – | 17 | $0 |
| 19 | Poland | $2,629 | 0.0% | – | 14 | $0 |
| 20 | South Africa | $1,980 | 0.0% | – | – | $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 | $1.1M | +37.8% | 794 kg | $1,354.27 | $189.0M | 167 t |
| September 2026 | $998K | +26.5% | 1.3 t | $777.34 | $6.3M | 12.5 t |
| August 2026 | $890K | +25.7% | 564 kg | $1,578.07 | $85.6M | 86.9 t |
| July 2026 | $903K | +61.7% | 464 kg | $1,946.42 | $5.3M | 8.7 t |
| June 2026 | $712K | -19.9% | 281 kg | $2,534.57 | $6.2M | 12.3 t |
| May 2026 | $4.4M | +368.0% | 307 kg | $14,213.57 | $8.7M | 6.7 t |
| April 2026 | $745K | -15.5% | 1.4 t | $525.13 | $144.7M | 86.1 t |
| March 2026 | $3.3M | +397.0% | 500 kg | $6,601.92 | $349.6M | 256 t |
| February 2026 | $763K | +0.2% | 300 kg | $2,544.40 | $4.5M | 6.4 t |
| January 2026 | $1.1M | +69.1% | 329 kg | $3,438.60 | $115.7M | 188 t |
| December 2025 | $786K | -1.1% | 586 kg | $1,340.56 | $6.5M | 8.9 t |
| November 2025 | $702K | -25.3% | 348 kg | $2,017.29 | $80.4M | 91.7 t |
| October 2025 | $781K | +13.3% | 773 kg | $1,009.77 | $172.7M | 229 t |
| September 2025 | $789K | +61.6% | 207 kg | $3,812.56 | $80.2M | 82.3 t |
| August 2025 | $708K | +0.6% | 269 kg | $2,632.36 | $4.8M | 7.3 t |
| July 2025 | $559K | -31.3% | 150 kg | $3,723.97 | $92.6M | 88.3 t |
| June 2025 | $889K | +28.8% | 286 kg | $3,107.56 | $68.1M | 39.7 t |
| May 2025 | $932K | +12.4% | 643 kg | $1,449.95 | $4.1M | 5.6 t |
| April 2025 | $881K | +71.7% | 1.0 t | $872.61 | $140.1M | 83.4 t |
| March 2025 | $664K | -14.4% | 2.1 t | $316.55 | $39.2M | 34.2 t |
| February 2025 | $762K | +14.7% | 598 kg | $1,274.35 | $205.6M | 183 t |
| January 2025 | $669K | -6.0% | 99 kg | $6,758.57 | $3.6M | 4.8 t |
| December 2024 | $794K | +27.1% | 699 kg | $1,136.45 | $122.2M | 197 t |
| November 2024 | $940K | +33.3% | 457 kg | $2,056.97 | $115.8M | 184 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.