Polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives: South Korea exports and imports
HS 2917 · 폴리카르복시산과 이들의 무수물(無水物)ㆍ할로겐화물ㆍ과산화물ㆍ과산화산, 이들의 할로겐화유도체ㆍ술폰화유도체ㆍ니트로화유도체ㆍ니트로소화유도체 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $199.4 million of polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives (HS 2917), up 30.8% from September 2026 and up 80.1% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives (HS 2917) totalled $2.18 billion, up 16.0% from the 12 months before ($1.88 billion).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Türkiye ($905.4 million, 41.5% of the total), followed by Lithuania and Japan.
That was 10.7% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 29 (organic chemicals) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $21.6 million (up 47.2% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $177.8 million for the month.
Official description of HS 2917: Polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 2917
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2917.11 | Oxalic acid, its salts and esters | $10.3M | 0.5% | +40.9% | $1.1M |
| 2917.11.1000 | Oxalic acid | $8.8M | 85.3% | +38.9% | $999K |
| 2917.11.2000 | Salts of oxalic acid | $1.5M | 14.7% | +53.7% | $107K |
| 2917.11.3000 | Esters of oxalic acid | $110 | 0.0% | – | $27 |
| 2917.12 | Adipic acid, its salts and esters | $64.7M | 3.0% | +38.5% | $6.0M |
| 2917.12.1000 | Adipic acid | $61.3M | 94.7% | +41.8% | $5.6M |
| 2917.12.2000 | Salts of adipic acid | $47K | 0.1% | – | $0 |
| 2917.12.3010 | Dioctyl adipate | $2.4M | 3.7% | -19.6% | $244K |
| 2917.12.3090 | Other | $1.0M | 1.6% | +78.6% | $202K |
| 2917.13 | Azelaic acid, sebacic acid, their salts and esters | $153K | 0.0% | -72.0% | $13K |
| 2917.13.1000 | Azelaic acid, its salts and esters | $68K | 44.3% | +59.6% | $9,487 |
| 2917.13.2000 | Sebacic acid, its salts and esters | $85K | 55.7% | -83.1% | $3,216 |
| 2917.14 | Maleic anhydride | $35.6M | 1.6% | -9.6% | $3.3M |
| 2917.19 | Other | $6.4M | 0.3% | -5.6% | $478K |
| 2917.19.2000 | Succinic acid | $71K | 1.1% | -74.4% | $4,109 |
| 2917.19.3000 | Sodium succinate | $674K | 10.5% | +9.5% | $56K |
| 2917.19.9000 | Other | $5.7M | 88.4% | -4.0% | $417K |
| 2917.20 | Cyclanic, cyclenic or cycloterpenic polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides, peroxyacids and their de | $44.7M | 2.0% | -5.0% | $2.7M |
| 2917.32 | Dioctyl orthophthalates | $30.5M | 1.4% | -4.9% | $3.0M |
| 2917.32.1000 | Di-2-ethyl hexyl orthophthalate | $30.5M | 100.0% | -4.9% | $3.0M |
| 2917.32.9000 | Other | $6,379 | 0.0% | -44.3% | $0 |
| 2917.33 | Dinonyl or didecyl orthophthalates | $50.1M | 2.3% | +22.9% | $4.2M |
| 2917.33.1000 | Dinonyl orthophthalate | $50.1M | 100.0% | +22.9% | $4.2M |
| 2917.33.2000 | Didecyl orthophthalates | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2917.34 | Other esters of orthophthalic acid | $22.8M | 1.0% | -39.3% | $1.8M |
| 2917.34.1000 | Diheptyl orthophthalate | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2917.34.2000 | Diisodecyl orthophthalate | $9.8M | 42.8% | +49.9% | $1.3M |
| 2917.34.3000 | Dibutyl orthophthalates | $2.4M | 10.3% | -0.9% | $349K |
| 2917.34.9000 | Other | $10.7M | 46.9% | -62.7% | $152K |
| 2917.35 | Phthalic anhydride | $98.2M | 4.5% | +14.7% | $10.6M |
| 2917.36 | Terephthalic acid and its salts | $1.54B | 70.5% | +19.5% | $140.4M |
| 2917.36.1000 | Terephthalic acid | $1.54B | 100.0% | +19.5% | $140.4M |
| 2917.36.9000 | Other | $17K | 0.0% | -15.7% | $8,400 |
| 2917.37 | Dimethyl terephthalate | $86.6M | 4.0% | +14.6% | $8.2M |
| 2917.39 | Other | $194.0M | 8.9% | +10.7% | $17.5M |
| 2917.39.1000 | Isophthalic acid | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2917.39.2000 | Trioctyltrimellitate (T.O.T.M) | $24.9M | 12.8% | -27.4% | $3.4M |
| 2917.39.3000 | Trimellitic anhydride | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2917.39.9000 | Other | $169.2M | 87.2% | +20.0% | $14.2M |
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. 96 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 | Türkiye | $905.4M | 41.5% | +38.0% | 1 | $58.6M |
| 2 | Lithuania | $245.4M | 11.2% | -8.8% | 2 | $47.0M |
| 3 | Japan | $150.1M | 6.9% | +51.6% | 5 | $15.0M |
| 4 | India | $128.0M | 5.9% | -44.7% | 3 | $8.2M |
| 5 | United States | $109.9M | 5.0% | +7.3% | 4 | $8.0M |
| 6 | Egypt | $96.8M | 4.4% | +1,560% | 27 | $3.9M |
| 7 | Oman | $78.7M | 3.6% | +199.0% | 12 | $15.7M |
| 8 | Netherlands | $71.3M | 3.3% | +35.4% | 7 | $5.8M |
| 9 | Poland | $39.9M | 1.8% | +12.1% | 10 | $2.5M |
| 10 | Spain | $38.0M | 1.7% | -60.8% | 6 | $2.2M |
| 11 | China | $37.1M | 1.7% | +2.0% | 9 | $2.9M |
| 12 | Italy | $33.7M | 1.5% | -16.2% | 8 | $2.3M |
| 13 | Pakistan | $28.2M | 1.3% | +6,848% | 56 | $4.5M |
| 14 | Vietnam | $23.6M | 1.1% | -15.6% | 11 | $2.8M |
| 15 | Brazil | $18.1M | 0.8% | +38.3% | 14 | $1.1M |
| 16 | Taiwan | $17.4M | 0.8% | -8.2% | 13 | $1.9M |
| 17 | Thailand | $13.9M | 0.6% | +61.2% | 22 | $601K |
| 18 | Indonesia | $11.2M | 0.5% | +11.0% | 20 | $422K |
| 19 | France | $10.0M | 0.5% | +38.0% | 25 | $996K |
| 20 | Colombia | $9.8M | 0.4% | -14.2% | 15 | $873K |
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 | $199.4M | +80.1% | 202,747 t | $0.98 | $21.6M | 10,013 t |
| September 2026 | $152.4M | -18.0% | 153,629 t | $0.99 | $24.4M | 12,180 t |
| August 2026 | $188.4M | +33.7% | 209,212 t | $0.90 | $22.1M | 9,529 t |
| July 2026 | $244.0M | +64.5% | 280,995 t | $0.87 | $16.9M | 6,769 t |
| June 2026 | $164.9M | -3.8% | 172,721 t | $0.95 | $29.6M | 12,962 t |
| May 2026 | $166.2M | -3.5% | 164,143 t | $1.01 | $25.7M | 12,174 t |
| April 2026 | $186.6M | +36.2% | 184,899 t | $1.01 | $26.3M | 13,704 t |
| March 2026 | $261.3M | +65.9% | 312,973 t | $0.83 | $20.6M | 10,556 t |
| February 2026 | $160.9M | -11.2% | 205,092 t | $0.78 | $17.7M | 9,426 t |
| January 2026 | $171.5M | +13.3% | 239,846 t | $0.72 | $20.5M | 12,242 t |
| December 2025 | $125.4M | -36.2% | 171,274 t | $0.73 | $17.9M | 9,560 t |
| November 2025 | $162.0M | +25.1% | 235,914 t | $0.69 | $14.5M | 7,772 t |
| October 2025 | $110.7M | -26.5% | 149,371 t | $0.74 | $14.7M | 8,956 t |
| September 2025 | $185.9M | -7.4% | 262,756 t | $0.71 | $21.5M | 11,827 t |
| August 2025 | $140.9M | -20.9% | 185,643 t | $0.76 | $17.8M | 9,495 t |
| July 2025 | $148.3M | -36.9% | 192,448 t | $0.77 | $18.8M | 9,367 t |
| June 2025 | $171.4M | -5.4% | 236,751 t | $0.72 | $23.5M | 11,825 t |
| May 2025 | $172.3M | -14.3% | 245,240 t | $0.70 | $19.0M | 8,749 t |
| April 2025 | $137.0M | -44.9% | 176,849 t | $0.77 | $23.3M | 11,486 t |
| March 2025 | $157.4M | -20.5% | 206,765 t | $0.76 | $16.5M | 7,387 t |
| February 2025 | $181.3M | -26.6% | 232,229 t | $0.78 | $22.3M | 9,737 t |
| January 2025 | $151.4M | -33.0% | 195,969 t | $0.77 | $23.3M | 10,453 t |
| December 2024 | $196.6M | -6.8% | 267,993 t | $0.73 | $16.3M | 7,052 t |
| November 2024 | $129.5M | -36.4% | 160,521 t | $0.81 | $16.2M | 7,872 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.