Unsaturated acyclic and cyclic monocarboxylic acids: South Korea exports and imports
HS 2916 · 불포화비환식모노카르복시산ㆍ환식모노카르복시산과 이들의 무수물(無水物)ㆍ할로겐화물ㆍ과산화물ㆍ과산화산, 이들의 할로겐화유도체ㆍ술폰화유도체ㆍ니트로화유도체ㆍ니트로소화유도체 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $42.1 million of unsaturated acyclic and cyclic monocarboxylic acids (HS 2916), up 17.2% from September 2026 and up 90.0% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of unsaturated acyclic and cyclic monocarboxylic acids (HS 2916) totalled $380.5 million, up 14.1% from the 12 months before ($333.6 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($65.5 million, 17.2% of the total), followed by the United States and the Netherlands.
That was 1.9% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 29 (organic chemicals) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $40.0 million (up 39.5% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $2.1 million for the month.
Official description of HS 2916: Unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids, cyclic monocarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 2916
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2916.11 | Acrylic acid and its salts | $34.2M | 9.0% | -11.2% | $4.7M |
| 2916.11.1000 | Acrylic acid | $34.2M | 99.9% | -11.2% | $4.7M |
| 2916.11.9000 | Other | $36K | 0.1% | +197.2% | $11K |
| 2916.12 | Esters of acrylic acid | $104.4M | 27.5% | +3.4% | $8.7M |
| 2916.12.1000 | Ethyl acrylate | $8.4M | 8.1% | -27.8% | $1.1M |
| 2916.12.2000 | Methyl acrylate | $4.5M | 4.3% | -40.4% | $480K |
| 2916.12.3000 | Butyl acrylate | $2.0M | 1.9% | -36.9% | $358K |
| 2916.12.4000 | 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate | $1.6M | 1.6% | +26.7% | $311K |
| 2916.12.9000 | Other | $87.9M | 84.1% | +13.6% | $6.5M |
| 2916.13 | Methacrylic acid and its salts | $59.8M | 15.7% | +30.0% | $5.1M |
| 2916.13.1000 | Methacrylic acid | $59.0M | 98.7% | +30.6% | $5.0M |
| 2916.13.9000 | Other | $805K | 1.3% | +0.3% | $80K |
| 2916.14 | Esters of methacrylic acid | $142.7M | 37.5% | +32.1% | $20.0M |
| 2916.14.1000 | Methyl methacrylate | $61.3M | 43.0% | +113.7% | $11.9M |
| 2916.14.9000 | Other | $81.4M | 57.0% | +2.6% | $8.1M |
| 2916.15 | Oleic, linoleic or linolenic acids, their salts and esters | $6.9M | 1.8% | +18.4% | $813K |
| 2916.15.1000 | Oleic acid, its salts and esters | $6.9M | 99.9% | +18.4% | $813K |
| 2916.15.2000 | Linoleic acid, its salts and esters | $5,339 | 0.1% | – | $179 |
| 2916.15.3000 | Linolenic acid, its salts and esters | $776 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2916.16 | Binapacryl(ISO) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2916.19 | Other | $17.9M | 4.7% | +168.4% | $2.2M |
| 2916.20 | Cyclanic, cyclenic or cycloterpenic monocarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides, peroxyacids and their de | $1.3M | 0.3% | +245.7% | $108K |
| 2916.20.3000 | Material for manufacturing agricultural chemicals (registered material under the Agricultural Chemicals Management Act) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2916.20.9000 | Other | $1.3M | 100.0% | +245.8% | $108K |
| 2916.31 | Benzoic acid, its salts and esters | $822K | 0.2% | -81.3% | $115K |
| 2916.31.1000 | Benzoic acid | $130K | 15.8% | -96.7% | $1,004 |
| 2916.31.2000 | Sodium benzoate | $32K | 3.9% | -10.9% | $1,093 |
| 2916.31.3000 | Benzyl benzoates | $378 | 0.0% | – | $103 |
| 2916.31.9090 | Other | $660K | 80.3% | +42.5% | $113K |
| 2916.32 | Benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride | $3.6M | 1.0% | +7.3% | $309K |
| 2916.32.1000 | Benzoyl peroxide | $3.6M | 99.3% | +7.5% | $305K |
| 2916.32.2000 | Benzoyl chloride | $27K | 0.7% | -18.8% | $4,070 |
| 2916.34 | Phenylacetic acid and its salts | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2916.39 | Other | $8.8M | 2.3% | -54.6% | $155K |
| 2916.39.1000 | Cinnamic acid | $33 | 0.0% | – | $30 |
| 2916.39.9010 | Material for manufacturing agricultural chemicals (registered material under the Agricultural Chemicals Management Act) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2916.39.9090 | Other | $8.8M | 100.0% | -54.6% | $155K |
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. 59 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 | $65.5M | 17.2% | -1.3% | 2 | $11.1M |
| 2 | United States | $58.3M | 15.3% | -23.8% | 1 | $4.5M |
| 3 | Netherlands | $55.7M | 14.6% | +89.1% | 5 | $7.3M |
| 4 | India | $52.8M | 13.9% | +45.1% | 3 | $5.0M |
| 5 | Japan | $43.8M | 11.5% | +21.8% | 4 | $3.3M |
| 6 | Taiwan | $17.6M | 4.6% | +5.4% | 6 | $1.6M |
| 7 | Malaysia | $11.9M | 3.1% | +41.4% | 7 | $820K |
| 8 | Spain | $9.2M | 2.4% | +47.7% | 10 | $2.2M |
| 9 | Türkiye | $7.8M | 2.1% | +58.1% | 11 | $930K |
| 10 | Germany | $6.0M | 1.6% | -12.5% | 9 | $675K |
| 11 | Brazil | $5.9M | 1.5% | +31.6% | 12 | $656K |
| 12 | Thailand | $5.3M | 1.4% | +19.6% | 13 | $626K |
| 13 | Indonesia | $5.1M | 1.3% | +84.2% | 17 | $515K |
| 14 | Vietnam | $4.3M | 1.1% | +17.4% | 15 | $479K |
| 15 | Belgium | $4.2M | 1.1% | -40.0% | 8 | $573K |
| 16 | United Kingdom | $3.8M | 1.0% | +5.8% | 16 | $223K |
| 17 | France | $3.5M | 0.9% | -20.5% | 14 | $192K |
| 18 | Mexico | $3.4M | 0.9% | +25.6% | 19 | $302K |
| 19 | Italy | $2.9M | 0.8% | +7.1% | 18 | $286K |
| 20 | South Africa | $2.8M | 0.7% | +169.9% | 20 | $77K |
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 | $42.1M | +90.0% | 19,882 t | $2.12 | $40.0M | 17,149 t |
| September 2026 | $35.9M | +24.7% | 16,454 t | $2.18 | $39.3M | 16,688 t |
| August 2026 | $33.4M | +59.5% | 15,907 t | $2.10 | $34.1M | 11,527 t |
| July 2026 | $33.4M | +42.8% | 14,317 t | $2.33 | $32.0M | 11,059 t |
| June 2026 | $37.0M | +19.0% | 14,457 t | $2.56 | $39.5M | 15,316 t |
| May 2026 | $30.1M | +22.5% | 10,626 t | $2.84 | $59.9M | 22,057 t |
| April 2026 | $35.7M | +12.2% | 12,984 t | $2.75 | $50.3M | 19,899 t |
| March 2026 | $26.2M | -18.1% | 12,793 t | $2.05 | $38.0M | 19,006 t |
| February 2026 | $25.9M | -21.0% | 14,315 t | $1.81 | $26.3M | 12,450 t |
| January 2026 | $29.1M | +3.1% | 14,818 t | $1.96 | $34.2M | 15,874 t |
| December 2025 | $27.8M | -5.2% | 14,695 t | $1.89 | $54.5M | 18,246 t |
| November 2025 | $23.8M | -16.2% | 13,363 t | $1.78 | $26.3M | 12,390 t |
| October 2025 | $22.2M | -25.8% | 11,236 t | $1.97 | $28.7M | 14,911 t |
| September 2025 | $28.8M | -17.3% | 15,721 t | $1.83 | $32.5M | 15,720 t |
| August 2025 | $21.0M | -43.8% | 10,600 t | $1.98 | $27.6M | 12,521 t |
| July 2025 | $23.4M | -30.6% | 11,182 t | $2.09 | $34.9M | 14,997 t |
| June 2025 | $31.1M | +0.7% | 14,020 t | $2.22 | $40.5M | 21,474 t |
| May 2025 | $24.6M | -27.1% | 12,159 t | $2.02 | $34.9M | 18,242 t |
| April 2025 | $31.8M | -11.2% | 16,904 t | $1.88 | $39.4M | 16,599 t |
| March 2025 | $32.0M | +18.3% | 16,819 t | $1.90 | $32.3M | 14,588 t |
| February 2025 | $32.8M | +14.6% | 16,758 t | $1.96 | $36.0M | 15,310 t |
| January 2025 | $28.2M | -0.8% | 14,478 t | $1.95 | $36.5M | 16,298 t |
| December 2024 | $29.3M | +14.8% | 12,517 t | $2.34 | $31.4M | 13,587 t |
| November 2024 | $28.4M | +6.4% | 14,452 t | $1.97 | $40.8M | 15,984 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.