Carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function: South Korea exports and imports
HS 2918 · 추가 산소관능을 갖는 카르복시산과 이들의 무수물(無水物)ㆍ할로겐화물ㆍ과산화물ㆍ과산화산, 이들의 할로겐유도체ㆍ술폰화유도체ㆍ니트로화유도체ㆍ니트로소화유도체 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $15.6 million of carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function (HS 2918), down 15.5% from September 2026 and up 16.0% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function (HS 2918) totalled $217.7 million, down 4.1% from the 12 months before ($227.1 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($52.2 million, 24.0% of the total), followed by Japan and China.
That was 1.1% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 29 (organic chemicals) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $38.9 million (up 51.8% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $23.3 million for the month.
Official description of HS 2918: Carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 2918
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2918.11 | Lactic acid, its salts and esters | $13.1M | 6.0% | +55.9% | $1.1M |
| 2918.11.1000 | Lactic acid | $127K | 1.0% | +157.1% | $5,906 |
| 2918.11.2000 | Salts of lactic acid | $20K | 0.1% | – | $0 |
| 2918.11.3000 | Esters of lactic acid | $12.9M | 98.9% | +55.1% | $1.1M |
| 2918.12 | Tartaric acid | $36K | 0.0% | +64.0% | $5,869 |
| 2918.13 | Salts and esters of tartaric acid | $8.4M | 3.9% | -13.5% | $189K |
| 2918.13.1000 | Salts of tartaric acid | $57K | 0.7% | +17.5% | $1,666 |
| 2918.13.2000 | Esters of tartaric acid | $8.3M | 99.3% | -13.7% | $188K |
| 2918.14 | Citric acid | $276K | 0.1% | -1.7% | $14K |
| 2918.15 | Salts and esters of citric acid | $1.3M | 0.6% | +1,135% | $498K |
| 2918.15.1000 | Salts of citric acid | $1.3M | 99.7% | +1,183% | $498K |
| 2918.15.2000 | Esters of citric acid | $3,554 | 0.3% | – | $492 |
| 2918.16 | Gluconic acid, its salts and esters | $321K | 0.1% | +150.1% | $37K |
| 2918.16.1000 | Gluconic acid | $104K | 32.3% | +17.9% | $27K |
| 2918.16.2000 | Salts of gluconic acid | $218K | 67.7% | +436.7% | $10K |
| 2918.16.3000 | Esters of gluconic acid | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2918.17 | 2,2-Diphenyl-2-hydroxyacetic acid (benzilic acid) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2918.18 | Chlorobenzilate (ISO) | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 2918.19 | Other | $42.6M | 19.5% | -4.2% | $2.8M |
| 2918.19.1010 | Malic acid | $7.6M | 18.0% | +9.3% | $667K |
| 2918.19.1090 | Other | $28.7M | 67.4% | -2.3% | $2.0M |
| 2918.19.2000 | Other salts of carboxylic acids with alcohol function | $441K | 1.0% | – | $31 |
| 2918.19.3000 | Other esters of carboxylic acids with alcohol function | $1.2M | 2.9% | -17.5% | $814 |
| 2918.19.9000 | Other | $4.6M | 10.7% | -30.5% | $148K |
| 2918.21 | Salicylic acid and its salts | $471K | 0.2% | +28.3% | $30K |
| 2918.22 | O-Acetylsalicylic acid, its salts and esters | $189 | 0.0% | – | $31 |
| 2918.23 | Other esters of salicylic acid and their salts | $716K | 0.3% | -11.7% | $16K |
| 2918.23.1000 | Other esters of salicylic acid | $554K | 77.4% | +137.4% | $14K |
| 2918.23.2000 | Salts of other esters of salicylic acid | $162K | 22.6% | -72.0% | $2,497 |
| 2918.29 | Other | $126.6M | 58.2% | -6.5% | $8.8M |
| 2918.29.1000 | β-oxynaphthoic acid and its salts | $27K | 0.0% | -69.8% | $3,414 |
| 2918.29.9010 | Gallic acid | $20K | 0.0% | -34.7% | $814 |
| 2918.29.9030 | Parahydroxybenzoic acid | $6,244 | 0.0% | – | $805 |
| 2918.29.9090 | Other | $126.5M | 100.0% | -6.5% | $8.8M |
| 2918.30 | Carboxylic acids with aldehyde or ketone function but without other oxygen function, their anhydrides, halides, peroxide | $4.0M | 1.9% | -33.1% | $331K |
| 2918.30.1000 | Material for manufacturing agricultural chemicals (registered material under the Agricultural Chemicals Management Act) | $34K | 0.8% | +144.5% | $4,090 |
| 2918.30.9000 | Other | $4.0M | 99.2% | -33.5% | $327K |
| 2918.99 | Other | $19.9M | 9.1% | -7.0% | $1.8M |
| 2918.99.1000 | Material for manufacturing agricultural chemicals (registered material under the Agricultural Chemicals Management Act) | $0 | 0.0% | -100.0% | $0 |
| 2918.99.9000 | Other | $19.9M | 100.0% | -6.3% | $1.8M |
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. 70 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 | $52.2M | 24.0% | +19.8% | 1 | $3.9M |
| 2 | Japan | $37.9M | 17.4% | +7.5% | 2 | $2.5M |
| 3 | China | $31.3M | 14.4% | +4.8% | 3 | $3.1M |
| 4 | Belgium | $21.1M | 9.7% | -11.3% | 4 | $960K |
| 5 | Singapore | $12.2M | 5.6% | +8.9% | 5 | $668K |
| 6 | Vietnam | $4.8M | 2.2% | +39.6% | 16 | $516K |
| 7 | Russia | $4.7M | 2.2% | +10.8% | 11 | $24 |
| 8 | India | $4.5M | 2.1% | +84.0% | 22 | $578K |
| 9 | Spain | $4.2M | 1.9% | -16.3% | 9 | $510K |
| 10 | Italy | $4.1M | 1.9% | -33.2% | 8 | $45K |
| 11 | United Arab Emirates | $3.6M | 1.7% | -8.9% | 12 | $206K |
| 12 | Argentina | $3.6M | 1.6% | -29.2% | 10 | $0 |
| 13 | Czechia | $3.5M | 1.6% | -56.5% | 7 | $328K |
| 14 | Brazil | $3.3M | 1.5% | +10.7% | 19 | $185K |
| 15 | United Kingdom | $3.0M | 1.4% | -16.2% | 14 | $162K |
| 16 | Thailand | $2.9M | 1.3% | -13.3% | 17 | $193K |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia | $2.7M | 1.2% | -28.2% | 13 | $201K |
| 18 | Taiwan | $2.6M | 1.2% | -9.6% | 20 | $266K |
| 19 | Malaysia | $2.2M | 1.0% | -37.0% | 15 | $189K |
| 20 | Indonesia | $1.8M | 0.8% | -35.0% | 21 | $279K |
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 | $15.6M | +16.0% | 3,762 t | $4.15 | $38.9M | 8,269 t |
| September 2026 | $18.5M | -13.4% | 4,121 t | $4.49 | $34.4M | 8,168 t |
| August 2026 | $14.9M | -10.9% | 3,752 t | $3.96 | $27.3M | 7,840 t |
| July 2026 | $22.5M | -1.2% | 5,218 t | $4.31 | $36.7M | 9,931 t |
| June 2026 | $21.9M | +33.2% | 5,801 t | $3.77 | $35.1M | 10,357 t |
| May 2026 | $20.4M | +5.1% | 5,219 t | $3.92 | $27.5M | 7,973 t |
| April 2026 | $20.0M | +0.8% | 5,471 t | $3.65 | $37.4M | 11,937 t |
| March 2026 | $18.9M | -1.2% | 5,268 t | $3.58 | $35.5M | 11,609 t |
| February 2026 | $16.5M | -21.3% | 3,685 t | $4.49 | $26.1M | 8,198 t |
| January 2026 | $14.3M | -15.0% | 4,076 t | $3.50 | $28.8M | 9,065 t |
| December 2025 | $21.2M | -5.4% | 4,716 t | $4.49 | $38.5M | 10,545 t |
| November 2025 | $13.1M | -26.5% | 3,112 t | $4.22 | $26.8M | 7,571 t |
| October 2025 | $13.5M | -37.1% | 2,703 t | $4.98 | $25.6M | 8,077 t |
| September 2025 | $21.3M | +16.8% | 4,580 t | $4.66 | $32.3M | 9,117 t |
| August 2025 | $16.7M | -9.7% | 4,113 t | $4.05 | $30.8M | 7,778 t |
| July 2025 | $22.8M | +0.5% | 5,229 t | $4.35 | $36.3M | 10,261 t |
| June 2025 | $16.4M | -22.1% | 4,033 t | $4.07 | $26.5M | 7,453 t |
| May 2025 | $19.4M | +2.9% | 4,258 t | $4.57 | $27.5M | 8,901 t |
| April 2025 | $19.8M | -8.7% | 4,778 t | $4.15 | $29.2M | 9,011 t |
| March 2025 | $19.1M | -16.6% | 4,613 t | $4.14 | $23.2M | 6,704 t |
| February 2025 | $21.0M | -5.3% | 4,910 t | $4.28 | $24.9M | 7,774 t |
| January 2025 | $16.8M | -20.4% | 4,177 t | $4.01 | $25.3M | 8,878 t |
| December 2024 | $22.4M | +1.5% | 4,255 t | $5.26 | $29.0M | 8,785 t |
| November 2024 | $17.9M | -14.5% | 3,814 t | $4.68 | $25.0M | 8,403 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.