Soap and skin-washing preparations: South Korea exports and imports
HS 3401 · 비누, 비누로 사용되는 유기계면활성제품과 조제품[막대(bar) 모양ㆍ케이크 모양ㆍ주형 모양으로 된 것으로 한정하며, 비누를 함유한 것인지에 상관없다], 피부세척용 유기계면활성제품과 조제품(액체나 크림 형태의 소매용으로 한정하며, 비누를 함유한 것인지에 상관없다), 비누나 세제를 침투시키거나 도포한 종이ㆍ워딩(wadding)ㆍ펠트(felt)ㆍ부직포 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $69.5 million of soap and skin-washing preparations (HS 3401), down 19.4% from September 2026 and up 32.7% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of soap and skin-washing preparations (HS 3401) totalled $743.9 million, up 31.1% from the 12 months before ($567.5 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($155.2 million, 20.9% of the total), followed by the United States and Vietnam.
That was 34.6% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 34 (soap, washing preparations and waxes) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $17.6 million (up 26.4% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $51.9 million for the month.
Official description of HS 3401: Soap; organic surface-active products and preparations for use as soap, in the form of bars, cakes, moulded pieces or shapes, whether or not containing soap; organic surface-active products and preparations for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or cream and put up for retail sale, whether or not containing soap; paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 3401
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3401.11 | Toilet soap, including medicated soap | $13.7M | 1.8% | +19.5% | $1.3M |
| 3401.11.1000 | Medicated soap | $299K | 2.2% | -29.1% | $21K |
| 3401.11.9000 | Other toilet soap | $13.4M | 97.8% | +21.3% | $1.3M |
| 3401.19 | Other | $18.4M | 2.5% | -7.1% | $867K |
| 3401.19.1010 | Laundry soaps | $5.7M | 31.2% | +6.1% | $474K |
| 3401.19.1090 | Other | $2.5M | 13.4% | +14.9% | $207K |
| 3401.19.2000 | Paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent | $10.2M | 55.4% | -16.7% | $186K |
| 3401.20 | Soap in other forms | $4.0M | 0.5% | +0.6% | $282K |
| 3401.30 | Liquid or cream skin-washing products | $707.9M | 95.2% | +33.0% | $67.1M |
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. 190 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 | $155.2M | 20.9% | +6.3% | 1 | $15.4M |
| 2 | United States | $155.0M | 20.8% | +25.6% | 2 | $14.5M |
| 3 | Vietnam | $35.9M | 4.8% | +43.3% | 3 | $3.2M |
| 4 | Japan | $31.9M | 4.3% | +31.7% | 4 | $2.5M |
| 5 | Hong Kong | $28.2M | 3.8% | +34.5% | 5 | $2.2M |
| 6 | Russia | $25.4M | 3.4% | +30.5% | 6 | $2.4M |
| 7 | Poland | $24.8M | 3.3% | +36.7% | 7 | $742K |
| 8 | United Kingdom | $23.0M | 3.1% | +118.4% | 10 | $2.8M |
| 9 | Indonesia | $20.0M | 2.7% | +99.9% | 11 | $285K |
| 10 | Australia | $17.1M | 2.3% | +98.5% | 13 | $1.7M |
| 11 | Taiwan | $16.5M | 2.2% | +16.9% | 8 | $2.0M |
| 12 | Malaysia | $15.4M | 2.1% | +22.3% | 9 | $1.2M |
| 13 | Netherlands | $14.4M | 1.9% | +124.9% | 18 | $3.3M |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | $12.2M | 1.6% | +32.8% | 12 | $963K |
| 15 | Canada | $12.0M | 1.6% | +55.4% | 16 | $799K |
| 16 | Germany | $9.1M | 1.2% | +51.6% | 19 | $1.6M |
| 17 | India | $8.4M | 1.1% | +0.2% | 15 | $970K |
| 18 | Thailand | $8.1M | 1.1% | +22.6% | 17 | $641K |
| 19 | Türkiye | $7.6M | 1.0% | +165.1% | 29 | $689K |
| 20 | Estonia | $7.6M | 1.0% | +130.0% | 24 | $551K |
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 | $69.5M | +32.7% | 5,778 t | $12.03 | $17.6M | 4,286 t |
| September 2026 | $86.2M | +34.3% | 5,813 t | $14.83 | $14.5M | 3,652 t |
| August 2026 | $65.1M | +48.5% | 5,167 t | $12.59 | $14.8M | 3,604 t |
| July 2026 | $71.2M | +39.9% | 5,484 t | $12.98 | $14.1M | 4,269 t |
| June 2026 | $62.3M | +20.8% | 5,279 t | $11.81 | $18.8M | 5,803 t |
| May 2026 | $55.6M | +29.7% | 4,733 t | $11.75 | $13.0M | 3,712 t |
| April 2026 | $64.7M | +17.6% | 5,641 t | $11.47 | $17.3M | 4,116 t |
| March 2026 | $61.0M | +32.9% | 5,500 t | $11.09 | $14.5M | 4,301 t |
| February 2026 | $47.4M | +4.0% | 4,420 t | $10.71 | $14.2M | 4,385 t |
| January 2026 | $50.0M | +42.4% | 5,178 t | $9.66 | $13.2M | 3,538 t |
| December 2025 | $53.2M | +31.8% | 5,302 t | $10.03 | $15.0M | 4,183 t |
| November 2025 | $57.9M | +44.8% | 4,452 t | $13.00 | $14.4M | 4,092 t |
| October 2025 | $52.4M | +14.3% | 4,165 t | $12.57 | $13.9M | 3,660 t |
| September 2025 | $64.2M | +50.5% | 5,566 t | $11.53 | $13.7M | 3,631 t |
| August 2025 | $43.8M | +11.2% | 3,934 t | $11.13 | $14.3M | 3,575 t |
| July 2025 | $50.9M | +34.4% | 3,994 t | $12.74 | $15.7M | 4,158 t |
| June 2025 | $51.6M | +31.9% | 4,242 t | $12.16 | $12.4M | 3,149 t |
| May 2025 | $42.9M | +0.5% | 3,789 t | $11.31 | $16.2M | 4,540 t |
| April 2025 | $55.0M | +31.7% | 4,858 t | $11.33 | $14.5M | 3,270 t |
| March 2025 | $45.9M | +17.0% | 4,811 t | $9.53 | $14.2M | 3,899 t |
| February 2025 | $45.5M | +46.0% | 3,974 t | $11.46 | $12.3M | 3,900 t |
| January 2025 | $35.1M | +15.5% | 3,573 t | $9.83 | $14.8M | 4,431 t |
| December 2024 | $40.3M | +25.9% | 4,338 t | $9.30 | $14.1M | 4,069 t |
| November 2024 | $40.0M | -3.7% | 3,920 t | $10.19 | $13.8M | 4,012 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.