Pharmaceutical goods (sutures, dental cements, first-aid kits and others): South Korea exports and imports
HS 3006 · 의료용품(이 류의 주 제4호의 물품으로 한정한다) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $18.0 million of pharmaceutical goods (sutures, dental cements, first-aid kits and others) (HS 3006), down 3.6% from September 2026 and up 20.5% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of pharmaceutical goods (sutures, dental cements, first-aid kits and others) (HS 3006) totalled $214.4 million, up 6.1% from the 12 months before ($202.0 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Japan ($27.2 million, 12.7% of the total), followed by the United States and Russia.
That was 2.1% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 30 (pharmaceutical products) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $37.5 million (up 18.9% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $19.4 million for the month.
Official description of HS 3006: Pharmaceutical goods specified in Note 4 to this Chapter.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 3006
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3006.10 | Sterile surgical catgut, similar sterile suture materials (including sterile absorbable surgical or dental yarns) and st | $82.8M | 38.6% | -1.3% | $7.2M |
| 3006.10.1010 | Sterile surgical catgut | $1.9M | 2.3% | +282.0% | $31K |
| 3006.10.1020 | Sterile suture materials (including sterile absorbable surgical or dental yarns) | $54.8M | 66.1% | -8.9% | $5.1M |
| 3006.10.2000 | Sterile tissue adhesives for surgical wound closure | $204K | 0.2% | -20.7% | $6,000 |
| 3006.10.3000 | Sterile laminaria and sterile laminaria tents | $1.3M | 1.6% | +3.9% | $65K |
| 3006.10.4000 | Sterile absorbable surgical or dental haemostatics | $12.5M | 15.0% | +14.2% | $1.1M |
| 3006.10.5010 | Of plastics | $1.1M | 1.3% | +88.5% | $105K |
| 3006.10.5020 | Of knitted or crocheted fabrics | $1,497 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 3006.10.5090 | Other | $11.1M | 13.4% | +7.4% | $850K |
| 3006.30 | Opacifying preparations for X-ray examinations; diagnostic reagents designed to be administered to the patient | $6.4M | 3.0% | +9.4% | $321K |
| 3006.30.1000 | Opacifying preparations for X-ray examination | $4.5M | 70.8% | +18.2% | $181K |
| 3006.30.2000 | Diagnostic reagents (designed to be administered to the patient) | $1.9M | 29.2% | -7.2% | $140K |
| 3006.40 | Dental cements and other dental fillings; bone reconstruction cements | $118.1M | 55.1% | +12.1% | $10.1M |
| 3006.40.1000 | Dental cements | $19.9M | 16.9% | +15.3% | $1.7M |
| 3006.40.2000 | Dental fillings | $85.3M | 72.2% | +9.9% | $7.2M |
| 3006.40.3000 | Bone reconstruction cements | $12.9M | 10.9% | +23.8% | $1.2M |
| 3006.50 | First-aid boxes and kits | $114K | 0.1% | -67.3% | $5,203 |
| 3006.60 | Chemical contraceptive preparations based on hormones, on other products of heading 29.37 or on spermicides | $108K | 0.1% | – | $0 |
| 3006.70 | Gel preparations designed to be used in human or veterinary medicine as a lubricant for parts of the body for surgical o | $5.9M | 2.8% | -4.9% | $317K |
| 3006.91 | Appliances identifiable for ostomy use | $30K | 0.0% | +134.9% | $231 |
| 3006.92 | Waste pharmaceuticals | $2,030 | 0.0% | -92.7% | $0 |
| 3006.92.1010 | Skin and bone grafts | $0 | 0.0% | -100.0% | $0 |
| 3006.92.1090 | Other | $44 | 2.2% | – | $0 |
| 3006.92.2090 | Other | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 3006.92.3000 | Of heading 30.03 or 30.04 | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 3006.92.4000 | Of heading 30.05 or 30.06 | $7 | 0.3% | – | $0 |
| 3006.92.5000 | Of subheading 3824.84 to 3824.88, 3824.91 or 3824.99 | $1,979 | 97.5% | – | $0 |
| 3006.93 | Placebos and blinded (or double-blinded) clinical trial kits for a recognised clinical trial, put up in measured doses | $992K | 0.5% | +182.2% | $41K |
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. 149 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 | Japan | $27.2M | 12.7% | -3.3% | 1 | $2.4M |
| 2 | United States | $18.8M | 8.8% | +12.4% | 2 | $1.7M |
| 3 | Russia | $14.4M | 6.7% | +9.5% | 3 | $1.1M |
| 4 | Brazil | $11.7M | 5.4% | +17.5% | 5 | $951K |
| 5 | China | $11.2M | 5.2% | 0.0% | 4 | $991K |
| 6 | Netherlands | $9.1M | 4.3% | -4.3% | 6 | $868K |
| 7 | France | $8.9M | 4.1% | +18.2% | 8 | $497K |
| 8 | Vietnam | $8.7M | 4.1% | +18.0% | 9 | $562K |
| 9 | Türkiye | $8.4M | 3.9% | +7.4% | 7 | $1.1M |
| 10 | Egypt | $6.1M | 2.9% | +18.3% | 11 | $317K |
| 11 | Switzerland | $5.3M | 2.5% | +18.4% | 12 | $631K |
| 12 | Thailand | $5.3M | 2.5% | +20.5% | 13 | $434K |
| 13 | Taiwan | $4.3M | 2.0% | +24.7% | 16 | $176K |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | $4.0M | 1.9% | -22.1% | 10 | $157K |
| 15 | Germany | $4.0M | 1.9% | +3.9% | 15 | $448K |
| 16 | Philippines | $3.8M | 1.8% | +13.9% | 17 | $290K |
| 17 | India | $3.7M | 1.7% | +23.0% | 19 | $393K |
| 18 | Indonesia | $3.4M | 1.6% | +39.8% | 20 | $349K |
| 19 | Saudi Arabia | $3.4M | 1.6% | -16.4% | 14 | $143K |
| 20 | Singapore | $2.9M | 1.3% | -11.3% | 18 | $160K |
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 | $18.0M | +20.5% | 110 t | $163.90 | $37.5M | 239 t |
| September 2026 | $18.7M | -4.2% | 144 t | $130.42 | $41.5M | 286 t |
| August 2026 | $16.2M | +4.8% | 95.2 t | $170.10 | $25.1M | 168 t |
| July 2026 | $18.2M | +15.2% | 100 t | $181.47 | $29.7M | 216 t |
| June 2026 | $20.8M | +13.8% | 128 t | $162.34 | $32.3M | 198 t |
| May 2026 | $16.3M | +4.2% | 92.1 t | $177.47 | $27.4M | 162 t |
| April 2026 | $16.9M | +3.4% | 108 t | $156.05 | $36.0M | 249 t |
| March 2026 | $17.6M | -3.9% | 123 t | $143.23 | $35.3M | 195 t |
| February 2026 | $13.3M | -15.2% | 67.5 t | $197.01 | $31.6M | 202 t |
| January 2026 | $15.9M | +8.9% | 99.6 t | $159.82 | $31.1M | 227 t |
| December 2025 | $23.0M | +8.1% | 142 t | $162.50 | $33.7M | 220 t |
| November 2025 | $19.5M | +20.9% | 113 t | $172.03 | $29.4M | 226 t |
| October 2025 | $15.0M | -11.6% | 96.8 t | $154.71 | $31.5M | 238 t |
| September 2025 | $19.5M | +8.6% | 108 t | $181.57 | $37.2M | 239 t |
| August 2025 | $15.5M | -9.2% | 90.6 t | $170.55 | $24.4M | 181 t |
| July 2025 | $15.8M | -12.3% | 92.5 t | $170.76 | $31.9M | 214 t |
| June 2025 | $18.2M | -7.0% | 107 t | $170.56 | $30.0M | 224 t |
| May 2025 | $15.7M | -18.5% | 109 t | $143.88 | $27.5M | 193 t |
| April 2025 | $16.3M | -4.8% | 81.4 t | $200.70 | $31.1M | 203 t |
| March 2025 | $18.3M | +16.3% | 122 t | $149.96 | $30.7M | 214 t |
| February 2025 | $15.7M | -1.4% | 95.1 t | $164.99 | $24.3M | 179 t |
| January 2025 | $14.6M | -6.9% | 83.3 t | $175.48 | $24.7M | 203 t |
| December 2024 | $21.3M | +11.4% | 119 t | $179.30 | $23.5M | 181 t |
| November 2024 | $16.1M | -14.1% | 104 t | $155.20 | $30.9M | 231 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.