Printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 3215 · 인쇄용 잉크ㆍ필기용 잉크ㆍ제도용 잉크와 그 밖의 잉크(농축하거나 고체화한 것인지에 상관없다) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $21.0 million of printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, etc. (HS 3215), up 19.6% from September 2026 and up 28.3% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, etc. (HS 3215) totalled $227.1 million, up 3.7% from the 12 months before ($219.1 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($58.4 million, 25.7% of the total), followed by Vietnam and the United States.
That was 8.0% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 32 (dyes, pigments, paints and inks) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $6.5 million (down 8.4% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $14.4 million for the month.
Official description of HS 3215: Printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, whether or not concentrated or solid.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 3215
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3215.11 | Black | $27.3M | 12.0% | -0.5% | $2.5M |
| 3215.19 | Other | $134.0M | 59.0% | +1.2% | $12.6M |
| 3215.90 | Other | $65.8M | 29.0% | +11.1% | $5.9M |
| 3215.90.1000 | Writing ink | $3.7M | 5.6% | +87.7% | $511K |
| 3215.90.2000 | Drawing ink | $609K | 0.9% | +36.1% | $21K |
| 3215.90.3000 | Copying ink | $24K | 0.0% | -78.8% | $1,051 |
| 3215.90.4010 | Of oil | $1,220 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 3215.90.4020 | Of water | $11.2M | 17.1% | +10.0% | $674K |
| 3215.90.4030 | Of oil and water | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 3215.90.5000 | Metalic ink | $1.2M | 1.8% | +114.3% | $156K |
| 3215.90.6010 | Of oil | $1.5M | 2.3% | -21.8% | $111K |
| 3215.90.6020 | Of water | $367K | 0.6% | -52.8% | $28K |
| 3215.90.6030 | Of oil and water | $697K | 1.1% | +199.9% | $100K |
| 3215.90.9000 | Other | $46.5M | 70.7% | +8.1% | $4.3M |
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. 137 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 | $58.4M | 25.7% | +7.1% | 1 | $5.4M |
| 2 | Vietnam | $42.1M | 18.5% | +6.7% | 2 | $3.7M |
| 3 | United States | $12.2M | 5.4% | +7.7% | 3 | $1.2M |
| 4 | India | $11.9M | 5.2% | +18.1% | 5 | $1.2M |
| 5 | Thailand | $9.3M | 4.1% | -8.2% | 4 | $637K |
| 6 | Bangladesh | $8.1M | 3.5% | -9.0% | 6 | $833K |
| 7 | Taiwan | $7.4M | 3.3% | +12.9% | 8 | $732K |
| 8 | Netherlands | $7.1M | 3.1% | -10.2% | 7 | $425K |
| 9 | Russia | $5.2M | 2.3% | +30.8% | 10 | $816K |
| 10 | Philippines | $4.8M | 2.1% | +11.7% | 9 | $669K |
| 11 | Hong Kong | $4.5M | 2.0% | +18.7% | 12 | $441K |
| 12 | Malaysia | $3.9M | 1.7% | +16.8% | 14 | $547K |
| 13 | Brazil | $3.9M | 1.7% | +19.2% | 18 | $147K |
| 14 | Indonesia | $3.6M | 1.6% | +10.4% | 15 | $390K |
| 15 | Pakistan | $3.5M | 1.6% | +7.2% | 16 | $397K |
| 16 | Türkiye | $3.5M | 1.5% | +7.8% | 17 | $218K |
| 17 | United Arab Emirates | $3.4M | 1.5% | -13.2% | 11 | $378K |
| 18 | Japan | $3.1M | 1.3% | -18.9% | 13 | $391K |
| 19 | Mexico | $2.7M | 1.2% | -12.7% | 19 | $145K |
| 20 | Switzerland | $2.3M | 1.0% | +26.6% | 22 | $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 | $21.0M | +28.3% | 2,490 t | $8.42 | $6.5M | 283 t |
| September 2026 | $17.5M | -15.2% | 2,152 t | $8.14 | $7.8M | 340 t |
| August 2026 | $16.5M | -6.7% | 2,032 t | $8.10 | $6.2M | 268 t |
| July 2026 | $20.7M | +7.1% | 2,269 t | $9.14 | $8.6M | 350 t |
| June 2026 | $19.1M | +8.3% | 2,475 t | $7.71 | $9.3M | 279 t |
| May 2026 | $16.8M | +10.7% | 2,137 t | $7.88 | $7.8M | 323 t |
| April 2026 | $20.0M | -2.7% | 2,584 t | $7.75 | $8.0M | 320 t |
| March 2026 | $20.1M | +7.9% | 2,475 t | $8.14 | $7.2M | 349 t |
| February 2026 | $13.9M | -28.2% | 1,763 t | $7.89 | $7.8M | 224 t |
| January 2026 | $19.9M | +26.2% | 2,568 t | $7.74 | $8.2M | 268 t |
| December 2025 | $22.6M | +11.3% | 3,334 t | $6.78 | $6.6M | 309 t |
| November 2025 | $18.9M | +8.0% | 2,450 t | $7.70 | $6.9M | 279 t |
| October 2025 | $16.3M | -18.5% | 2,139 t | $7.64 | $7.1M | 256 t |
| September 2025 | $20.7M | +16.9% | 2,806 t | $7.37 | $7.9M | 341 t |
| August 2025 | $17.7M | +7.5% | 2,090 t | $8.45 | $6.0M | 218 t |
| July 2025 | $19.4M | +2.8% | 2,547 t | $7.61 | $8.3M | 316 t |
| June 2025 | $17.6M | +12.1% | 2,117 t | $8.33 | $7.2M | 304 t |
| May 2025 | $15.2M | -14.9% | 2,115 t | $7.19 | $8.3M | 333 t |
| April 2025 | $20.6M | +9.2% | 2,677 t | $7.69 | $7.5M | 317 t |
| March 2025 | $18.7M | +3.6% | 2,625 t | $7.11 | $8.1M | 323 t |
| February 2025 | $19.4M | -23.3% | 2,528 t | $7.67 | $7.4M | 354 t |
| January 2025 | $15.8M | -16.4% | 2,228 t | $7.07 | $7.6M | 298 t |
| December 2024 | $20.3M | +9.4% | 2,795 t | $7.26 | $7.9M | 364 t |
| November 2024 | $17.5M | -12.5% | 2,419 t | $7.22 | $6.7M | 326 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.