Synthetic rubber: South Korea exports and imports
HS 4002 · 합성고무와 기름에서 제조한 팩티스(factice)[일차제품(primary form)ㆍ판ㆍ시트(sheet)ㆍ스트립 모양으로 한정한다], 제4001호의 물품과 제4002호의 물품과의 혼합물[일차제품(primary form)ㆍ판ㆍ시트(sheet)ㆍ스트립 모양으로 한정한다] · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $304.6 million of synthetic rubber (HS 4002), down 1.3% from September 2026 and up 36.7% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of synthetic rubber (HS 4002) totalled $3.43 billion, up 10.5% from the 12 months before ($3.11 billion).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($697.4 million, 20.3% of the total), followed by India and Malaysia.
That was 43.4% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 40 (rubber and articles thereof) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $35.3 million (up 47.5% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $269.3 million for the month.
Official description of HS 4002: Synthetic rubber and factice derived from oils, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip; mixtures of any product of heading 40.01 with any product of this heading, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 4002
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4002.11 | Latex | $55.9M | 1.6% | -14.9% | $4.9M |
| 4002.19 | Other | $1.21B | 35.1% | +10.7% | $100.9M |
| 4002.20 | Butadiene rubber (BR) | $661.3M | 19.3% | +6.1% | $44.7M |
| 4002.20.1000 | Latex | $98 | 0.0% | -99.9% | $0 |
| 4002.20.9000 | Other | $661.3M | 100.0% | +6.1% | $44.7M |
| 4002.31 | Isobutene-isoprene (butyl) rubber (IIR) | $515K | 0.0% | -43.9% | $7,409 |
| 4002.31.1000 | Latex | $70K | 13.6% | +193.3% | $7,409 |
| 4002.31.9000 | Other | $445K | 86.4% | -50.2% | $0 |
| 4002.39 | Other | $1.0M | 0.0% | +98.1% | $74K |
| 4002.39.1000 | Latex | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 4002.39.9010 | Of chlorinated-isobutene-isoprene rubber (CIIR) | $435K | 41.6% | +969.2% | $14K |
| 4002.39.9020 | Of brominated-isobutene-isoprene rubber (BIIR) | $610K | 58.4% | +25.3% | $60K |
| 4002.41 | Latex | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 4002.49 | Other | $1.8M | 0.1% | +10.2% | $153K |
| 4002.51 | Latex | $690.8M | 20.1% | +19.3% | $84.7M |
| 4002.59 | Other | $285.9M | 8.3% | +9.1% | $26.1M |
| 4002.60 | Isoprene rubber (IR) | $487K | 0.0% | -6.3% | $123K |
| 4002.70 | Ethylene-propylene-non-conjugated diene rubber (EPDM) | $524.2M | 15.3% | +8.9% | $42.5M |
| 4002.80 | Mixtures of any product of heading 40.01 with any product of this heading | $277K | 0.0% | +13.7% | $47K |
| 4002.91 | Latex | $598K | 0.0% | +74.2% | $0 |
| 4002.99 | Other | $5.0M | 0.1% | +57.3% | $504K |
| 4002.99.1000 | Of carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubbers (XNBR) | $166K | 3.3% | -2.0% | $30K |
| 4002.99.9000 | Other | $4.8M | 96.7% | +60.6% | $474K |
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. 90 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 | $697.4M | 20.3% | +4.4% | 1 | $65.2M |
| 2 | India | $395.4M | 11.5% | +30.3% | 3 | $30.7M |
| 3 | Malaysia | $389.1M | 11.3% | +15.2% | 2 | $48.2M |
| 4 | Indonesia | $310.3M | 9.0% | +15.6% | 4 | $23.7M |
| 5 | Vietnam | $285.5M | 8.3% | +7.9% | 5 | $29.0M |
| 6 | Thailand | $256.0M | 7.5% | +0.5% | 6 | $26.4M |
| 7 | United States | $215.8M | 6.3% | -1.4% | 7 | $11.8M |
| 8 | Japan | $95.1M | 2.8% | +4.1% | 8 | $8.9M |
| 9 | Türkiye | $86.9M | 2.5% | +3.0% | 9 | $6.5M |
| 10 | Germany | $71.6M | 2.1% | +29.7% | 12 | $6.5M |
| 11 | Poland | $67.3M | 2.0% | -10.6% | 10 | $7.5M |
| 12 | Italy | $64.5M | 1.9% | +21.9% | 13 | $4.4M |
| 13 | Canada | $60.9M | 1.8% | +3.4% | 11 | $2.9M |
| 14 | Taiwan | $33.1M | 1.0% | -3.9% | 14 | $2.1M |
| 15 | United Kingdom | $30.4M | 0.9% | +249.6% | 33 | $431K |
| 16 | Belgium | $29.1M | 0.8% | +10.0% | 15 | $2.9M |
| 17 | Sri Lanka | $23.5M | 0.7% | +16.4% | 17 | $3.3M |
| 18 | Philippines | $23.1M | 0.7% | +8.2% | 16 | $2.2M |
| 19 | Mexico | $22.2M | 0.6% | +58.1% | 22 | $1.9M |
| 20 | Spain | $19.2M | 0.6% | +1.3% | 19 | $1.2M |
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 | $304.6M | +36.7% | 169,981 t | $1.79 | $35.3M | 12,005 t |
| September 2026 | $308.5M | +21.5% | 166,508 t | $1.85 | $32.6M | 11,565 t |
| August 2026 | $277.0M | +14.8% | 155,249 t | $1.78 | $26.1M | 8,433 t |
| July 2026 | $306.9M | +15.0% | 167,809 t | $1.83 | $32.7M | 10,735 t |
| June 2026 | $305.3M | +28.5% | 142,682 t | $2.14 | $34.9M | 11,493 t |
| May 2026 | $320.3M | +30.9% | 130,157 t | $2.46 | $35.1M | 11,897 t |
| April 2026 | $351.7M | +23.7% | 148,802 t | $2.36 | $36.8M | 13,389 t |
| March 2026 | $281.5M | +2.7% | 174,150 t | $1.62 | $31.9M | 13,234 t |
| February 2026 | $248.5M | -12.4% | 171,243 t | $1.45 | $25.2M | 10,025 t |
| January 2026 | $249.6M | -8.4% | 179,813 t | $1.39 | $25.2M | 10,015 t |
| December 2025 | $253.8M | -6.2% | 190,143 t | $1.33 | $32.3M | 12,618 t |
| November 2025 | $225.7M | -11.6% | 163,559 t | $1.38 | $23.0M | 8,893 t |
| October 2025 | $222.8M | -21.1% | 151,285 t | $1.47 | $23.9M | 9,313 t |
| September 2025 | $254.0M | -5.0% | 176,044 t | $1.44 | $28.4M | 10,769 t |
| August 2025 | $241.2M | -11.0% | 164,737 t | $1.46 | $26.9M | 10,267 t |
| July 2025 | $266.8M | -5.9% | 174,005 t | $1.53 | $35.2M | 13,634 t |
| June 2025 | $237.6M | -8.7% | 162,137 t | $1.47 | $27.8M | 10,137 t |
| May 2025 | $244.7M | -1.5% | 160,174 t | $1.53 | $31.1M | 12,207 t |
| April 2025 | $284.4M | +1.4% | 173,696 t | $1.64 | $33.5M | 13,037 t |
| March 2025 | $274.1M | +13.9% | 163,279 t | $1.68 | $32.5M | 12,352 t |
| February 2025 | $283.7M | +17.0% | 168,986 t | $1.68 | $38.2M | 14,919 t |
| January 2025 | $272.6M | +11.0% | 177,243 t | $1.54 | $27.9M | 10,576 t |
| December 2024 | $270.7M | +32.0% | 168,838 t | $1.60 | $28.8M | 10,923 t |
| November 2024 | $255.4M | +15.6% | 148,043 t | $1.72 | $26.5M | 9,937 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.