Toilet paper and similar paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 4818 · 화장지와 이와 유사한 종이ㆍ셀롤로오스워딩ㆍ셀룰로오스섬유의 웹(web)(가정용이나 위생용으로 사용되는 것으로서 폭이 36센티미터 이하인 롤 모양이나 특정의 크기나 모양으로 절단한 것으로 한정한다)ㆍ손수건ㆍ클렌징티슈ㆍ타월ㆍ책상보ㆍ서비에트(serviette)ㆍ베드시트와 이와 유사한 가정용품ㆍ위생용품이나 병원용품ㆍ의류와 의류 부속품[제지용 펄프ㆍ종이ㆍ셀룰로오스워딩ㆍ셀룰로오스섬유의 웹(web)으로 만든 것으로 한정한다] · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $5.6 million of toilet paper and similar paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres, etc. (HS 4818), down 8.1% from September 2026 and up 0.9% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of toilet paper and similar paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres, etc. (HS 4818) totalled $71.3 million, up 0.9% from the 12 months before ($70.6 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Australia ($10.2 million, 14.3% of the total), followed by the United States and Thailand.
That was 2.6% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 48 (paper and paperboard) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $11.9 million (up 14.0% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $6.3 million for the month.
Official description of HS 4818: Toilet paper and similar paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres, of a kind used for household or sanitary purposes, in rolls of a width not exceeding 36 ㎝, or cut to size or shape; handkerchiefs, cleansing tissues, towels, tablecloths, serviettes, bed sheets and similar household, sanitary or hospital articles, articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of paper pulp, paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 4818
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4818.10 | Toilet paper | $7.2M | 10.1% | +3.2% | $625K |
| 4818.20 | Handkerchiefs, cleansing or facial tissues and towels | $46.9M | 65.8% | +3.6% | $3.5M |
| 4818.30 | Tablecloths and serviettes | $197K | 0.3% | -35.3% | $1,909 |
| 4818.50 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories | $195K | 0.3% | -4.4% | $15K |
| 4818.90 | Other | $16.8M | 23.6% | -6.2% | $1.5M |
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. 146 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 | Australia | $10.2M | 14.3% | -1.6% | 1 | $587K |
| 2 | United States | $8.1M | 11.3% | +20.0% | 3 | $383K |
| 3 | Thailand | $8.0M | 11.2% | -3.4% | 2 | $674K |
| 4 | India | $6.6M | 9.2% | +10.0% | 4 | $475K |
| 5 | Hong Kong | $5.4M | 7.5% | -2.3% | 5 | $264K |
| 6 | China | $3.9M | 5.5% | -23.9% | 6 | $732K |
| 7 | Taiwan | $3.9M | 5.4% | +2.6% | 7 | $280K |
| 8 | Malaysia | $3.6M | 5.0% | +3.1% | 8 | $378K |
| 9 | Russia | $3.3M | 4.7% | +35.6% | 9 | $254K |
| 10 | Mongolia | $2.8M | 3.9% | +24.1% | 11 | $85K |
| 11 | Philippines | $2.2M | 3.1% | +8.3% | 12 | $78K |
| 12 | Vietnam | $2.2M | 3.1% | +99.9% | 15 | $229K |
| 13 | Japan | $1.7M | 2.4% | -29.8% | 10 | $195K |
| 14 | Indonesia | $1.1M | 1.5% | -41.4% | 13 | $158K |
| 15 | Guam | $702K | 1.0% | -12.8% | 17 | $70K |
| 16 | Türkiye | $677K | 1.0% | +67.3% | 22 | $72K |
| 17 | Israel | $604K | 0.8% | +20.1% | 18 | $47K |
| 18 | Canada | $591K | 0.8% | -46.0% | 14 | $121K |
| 19 | New Zealand | $538K | 0.8% | +34.9% | 23 | $34K |
| 20 | Netherlands | $492K | 0.7% | +8.7% | 20 | $11K |
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 | $5.6M | +0.9% | 2,274 t | $2.47 | $11.9M | 6,000 t |
| September 2026 | $6.1M | -12.8% | 2,349 t | $2.60 | $12.4M | 6,129 t |
| August 2026 | $5.1M | -17.8% | 1,924 t | $2.64 | $10.3M | 5,373 t |
| July 2026 | $5.7M | -12.8% | 2,104 t | $2.73 | $10.5M | 5,342 t |
| June 2026 | $6.7M | +5.8% | 2,671 t | $2.52 | $11.3M | 5,832 t |
| May 2026 | $5.8M | +9.2% | 2,183 t | $2.66 | $12.3M | 6,388 t |
| April 2026 | $6.2M | -8.6% | 2,547 t | $2.45 | $12.9M | 6,556 t |
| March 2026 | $6.5M | +16.5% | 2,645 t | $2.48 | $10.7M | 5,432 t |
| February 2026 | $5.6M | -0.6% | 2,272 t | $2.47 | $10.5M | 5,252 t |
| January 2026 | $6.2M | +47.3% | 2,539 t | $2.43 | $10.3M | 5,460 t |
| December 2025 | $6.0M | +25.7% | 2,286 t | $2.62 | $11.5M | 5,524 t |
| November 2025 | $5.6M | -14.2% | 2,121 t | $2.65 | $10.9M | 5,312 t |
| October 2025 | $5.6M | -17.7% | 2,217 t | $2.51 | $10.5M | 5,031 t |
| September 2025 | $7.0M | +18.6% | 2,591 t | $2.71 | $11.9M | 5,704 t |
| August 2025 | $6.2M | -4.4% | 2,440 t | $2.53 | $8.9M | 4,284 t |
| July 2025 | $6.6M | -12.9% | 2,492 t | $2.64 | $11.6M | 5,533 t |
| June 2025 | $6.4M | +6.3% | 2,411 t | $2.64 | $9.6M | 4,587 t |
| May 2025 | $5.3M | -14.3% | 2,128 t | $2.50 | $10.5M | 4,952 t |
| April 2025 | $6.8M | -1.3% | 2,850 t | $2.39 | $11.1M | 5,069 t |
| March 2025 | $5.6M | -3.2% | 2,024 t | $2.78 | $10.7M | 4,900 t |
| February 2025 | $5.6M | -7.6% | 2,202 t | $2.56 | $8.6M | 4,053 t |
| January 2025 | $4.2M | -37.1% | 1,726 t | $2.43 | $10.8M | 4,827 t |
| December 2024 | $4.8M | -26.9% | 1,639 t | $2.91 | $11.6M | 5,104 t |
| November 2024 | $6.5M | +8.8% | 2,563 t | $2.55 | $10.9M | 4,929 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.