Soap, washing preparations and waxes: South Korea exports and imports
HS chapter 34 · 비누ㆍ유기계면활성제ㆍ조제 세제ㆍ조제 윤활제ㆍ인조 왁스ㆍ조제 왁스ㆍ광택용이나 연마용 조제품ㆍ양초와 이와 유사한 물품ㆍ조형용 페이스트(paste)ㆍ치과용 왁스와 플라스터(plaster)를 기본 재료로 한 치과용 조제품 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $199.7 million of soap, washing preparations and waxes (HS 34), down 6.1% from September 2026 and up 16.3% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of soap, washing preparations and waxes (HS 34) totalled $2.15 billion, up 12.6% from the 12 months before ($1.91 billion).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($579.3 million, 27.0% of the total), followed by the United States and Japan.
That was 0.2% of South Korea's total goods exports over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $113.3 million (up 27.8% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $86.4 million for the month.
Official description of HS 34: Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modelling pastes, “dental waxes” and dental preparation with a basis of plaster.
Last 24 months
Headings under chapter 34
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3402 | Surfactants, detergents and cleaning preparations | $826.0M | 38.5% | +12.8% | $75.5M |
| 3401 | Soap and skin-washing preparations | $743.9M | 34.6% | +31.1% | $69.5M |
| 3404 | Artificial waxes and prepared waxes | $228.3M | 10.6% | -16.9% | $20.6M |
| 3405 | Polishes and creams for footwear, furniture, floors or metal | $176.6M | 8.2% | +6.3% | $17.8M |
| 3403 | Lubricating preparations and preparations, etc. | $160.6M | 7.5% | +6.2% | $15.4M |
| 3407 | Modelling pastes, including those put up for children's amusement, etc. | $9.3M | 0.4% | -20.4% | $548K |
| 3406 | Candles, tapers and the like | $2.7M | 0.1% | -12.9% | $297K |
Top destinations
Export value over the 12 months to October 2026. 201 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 | $579.3M | 27.0% | +10.0% | 1 | $57.4M |
| 2 | United States | $284.8M | 13.3% | +20.1% | 2 | $27.9M |
| 3 | Japan | $124.9M | 5.8% | +16.0% | 4 | $11.3M |
| 4 | Vietnam | $124.4M | 5.8% | +13.9% | 3 | $10.5M |
| 5 | Taiwan | $74.9M | 3.5% | -16.2% | 6 | $7.2M |
| 6 | India | $72.8M | 3.4% | -20.9% | 5 | $6.0M |
| 7 | Indonesia | $57.6M | 2.7% | +23.9% | 7 | $3.4M |
| 8 | Russia | $53.5M | 2.5% | +22.3% | 8 | $4.6M |
| 9 | Malaysia | $48.9M | 2.3% | +22.3% | 11 | $4.1M |
| 10 | Türkiye | $40.8M | 1.9% | -0.2% | 9 | $2.4M |
| 11 | Thailand | $39.9M | 1.9% | +6.0% | 12 | $4.2M |
| 12 | Singapore | $37.2M | 1.7% | -0.3% | 13 | $3.5M |
| 13 | Philippines | $37.1M | 1.7% | -8.5% | 10 | $2.3M |
| 14 | Netherlands | $37.0M | 1.7% | +24.4% | 14 | $5.7M |
| 15 | Australia | $33.0M | 1.5% | +40.4% | 18 | $3.4M |
| 16 | Hong Kong | $32.9M | 1.5% | +30.0% | 15 | $2.6M |
| 17 | Poland | $29.9M | 1.4% | +19.0% | 16 | $1.1M |
| 18 | Canada | $26.6M | 1.2% | +24.6% | 19 | $1.9M |
| 19 | United Kingdom | $25.7M | 1.2% | +95.2% | 23 | $2.9M |
| 20 | Mexico | $25.2M | 1.2% | +53.3% | 21 | $3.5M |
Countries are linked when exports of this product to them reached $1,000,000 over 24 months.
Monthly figures
| Month | Exports | vs year earlier | Export weight | Export $/kg | Imports | Import weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $199.7M | +16.3% | 50,012 t | $3.99 | $113.3M | 25,805 t |
| September 2026 | $212.8M | +14.9% | 50,151 t | $4.24 | $105.8M | 24,322 t |
| August 2026 | $185.8M | +24.5% | 52,294 t | $3.55 | $90.9M | 22,054 t |
| July 2026 | $203.4M | +18.8% | 53,225 t | $3.82 | $109.2M | 27,871 t |
| June 2026 | $181.2M | +15.6% | 45,660 t | $3.97 | $117.3M | 31,978 t |
| May 2026 | $164.3M | +11.9% | 40,184 t | $4.09 | $103.2M | 28,415 t |
| April 2026 | $184.1M | +8.9% | 49,999 t | $3.68 | $114.8M | 30,006 t |
| March 2026 | $168.9M | +13.2% | 48,945 t | $3.45 | $97.0M | 28,082 t |
| February 2026 | $144.5M | -6.5% | 43,190 t | $3.35 | $87.6M | 23,462 t |
| January 2026 | $163.6M | +18.9% | 57,764 t | $2.83 | $88.0M | 23,401 t |
| December 2025 | $169.7M | +9.0% | 58,082 t | $2.92 | $99.5M | 25,994 t |
| November 2025 | $169.5M | +6.1% | 55,670 t | $3.04 | $86.6M | 22,725 t |
| October 2025 | $171.7M | +6.0% | 52,457 t | $3.27 | $88.6M | 21,800 t |
| September 2025 | $185.2M | +20.5% | 61,685 t | $3.00 | $107.5M | 27,260 t |
| August 2025 | $149.2M | -5.4% | 52,856 t | $2.82 | $91.3M | 23,767 t |
| July 2025 | $171.2M | +5.6% | 59,111 t | $2.90 | $104.7M | 26,088 t |
| June 2025 | $156.7M | +1.0% | 50,087 t | $3.13 | $99.4M | 24,003 t |
| May 2025 | $146.8M | -10.6% | 49,385 t | $2.97 | $102.3M | 25,783 t |
| April 2025 | $169.0M | +0.2% | 53,132 t | $3.18 | $97.0M | 23,059 t |
| March 2025 | $149.3M | -1.7% | 47,886 t | $3.12 | $95.8M | 25,296 t |
| February 2025 | $154.7M | +14.3% | 49,468 t | $3.13 | $86.3M | 23,617 t |
| January 2025 | $137.5M | -5.4% | 49,591 t | $2.77 | $87.0M | 23,840 t |
| December 2024 | $155.6M | +18.0% | 59,305 t | $2.62 | $102.1M | 28,463 t |
| November 2024 | $159.7M | +11.1% | 63,289 t | $2.52 | $86.1M | 23,777 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.