Paper and paperboard cartons, boxes, bags and packing containers: South Korea exports and imports
HS 4819 · 종이ㆍ판지ㆍ셀룰로오스워딩ㆍ셀룰로오스섬유의 웹(web)으로 만든 상자ㆍ포장대ㆍ그 밖의 포장용기, 종이나 판지로 만든 서류상자ㆍ서류받침과 이와 유사한 물품(사무실ㆍ상점이나 이와 유사한 곳에서 사용하는 것으로 한정한다) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $20.1 million of paper and paperboard cartons, boxes, bags and packing containers (HS 4819), up 12.4% from September 2026 and up 48.2% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of paper and paperboard cartons, boxes, bags and packing containers (HS 4819) totalled $219.1 million, up 17.3% from the 12 months before ($186.8 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($76.8 million, 35.0% of the total), followed by Russia and Japan.
That was 8.1% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 48 (paper and paperboard) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $31.0 million (up 11.3% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $10.9 million for the month.
Official description of HS 4819: Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and other packing containers, of paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres; box files, letter trays, and similar articles, of paper or paperboard of a kind used in offices, shops or the like.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 4819
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4819.10 | Cartons, boxes and cases, of corrugated paper or paperboard | $85.0M | 38.8% | +54.8% | $8.1M |
| 4819.20 | Folding cartons, boxes and cases, of non-corrugated paper or paperboard | $42.9M | 19.6% | +0.6% | $3.8M |
| 4819.30 | Sacks and bags, having a base of a width of 40 cm or more | $4.5M | 2.1% | -12.2% | $402K |
| 4819.40 | Other sacks and bags, including cones | $20.2M | 9.2% | -2.6% | $1.9M |
| 4819.50 | Other packing containers, including record sleeves | $66.1M | 30.2% | +5.3% | $5.9M |
| 4819.50.1000 | Suitable for packing liquid | $44.1M | 66.8% | +3.1% | $3.6M |
| 4819.50.9000 | Other | $22.0M | 33.2% | +9.9% | $2.4M |
| 4819.60 | Box files, letter trays, storage boxes and similar articles, of a kind used in offices, shops or the like | $315K | 0.1% | -40.6% | $9,145 |
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. 157 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 | United States | $76.8M | 35.0% | +46.5% | 1 | $8.1M |
| 2 | Russia | $41.7M | 19.0% | -10.3% | 2 | $2.8M |
| 3 | Japan | $31.4M | 14.3% | +15.0% | 3 | $2.5M |
| 4 | Indonesia | $12.4M | 5.7% | -7.7% | 4 | $634K |
| 5 | Vietnam | $12.1M | 5.5% | +23.9% | 5 | $913K |
| 6 | China | $6.0M | 2.7% | +15.7% | 6 | $569K |
| 7 | Canada | $5.1M | 2.3% | +303.7% | 13 | $1.2M |
| 8 | Singapore | $4.7M | 2.1% | +0.5% | 7 | $501K |
| 9 | Malaysia | $4.6M | 2.1% | +12.3% | 8 | $320K |
| 10 | Thailand | $3.9M | 1.8% | +12.9% | 9 | $450K |
| 11 | Philippines | $2.7M | 1.2% | +208.4% | 18 | $951K |
| 12 | United Kingdom | $2.4M | 1.1% | +493.5% | 24 | $9,719 |
| 13 | Mexico | $2.1M | 1.0% | +5.8% | 10 | $201K |
| 14 | Brazil | $1.4M | 0.7% | -18.8% | 11 | $29K |
| 15 | India | $1.0M | 0.5% | -10.9% | 16 | $120K |
| 16 | Slovakia | $991K | 0.5% | -35.4% | 12 | $86K |
| 17 | Italy | $776K | 0.4% | +9.2% | 19 | $623 |
| 18 | Hong Kong | $769K | 0.4% | +8.7% | 20 | $20K |
| 19 | Mongolia | $723K | 0.3% | +122.8% | 26 | $78K |
| 20 | Australia | $685K | 0.3% | -42.9% | 14 | $53K |
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 | $20.1M | +48.2% | 7,798 t | $2.57 | $31.0M | 7,626 t |
| September 2026 | $17.9M | +11.4% | 7,603 t | $2.35 | $34.0M | 8,454 t |
| August 2026 | $17.9M | +23.5% | 8,067 t | $2.22 | $29.7M | 7,664 t |
| July 2026 | $19.2M | +12.7% | 8,509 t | $2.26 | $31.9M | 8,191 t |
| June 2026 | $20.1M | +43.9% | 9,118 t | $2.21 | $31.7M | 7,982 t |
| May 2026 | $15.1M | +13.6% | 6,580 t | $2.30 | $28.9M | 7,203 t |
| April 2026 | $20.3M | +26.8% | 9,004 t | $2.26 | $29.9M | 7,953 t |
| March 2026 | $19.0M | +25.3% | 8,570 t | $2.21 | $25.4M | 6,001 t |
| February 2026 | $16.7M | +6.5% | 6,738 t | $2.48 | $25.0M | 6,202 t |
| January 2026 | $17.8M | +2.4% | 7,664 t | $2.33 | $31.5M | 8,107 t |
| December 2025 | $16.9M | +9.2% | 7,445 t | $2.26 | $30.9M | 8,026 t |
| November 2025 | $18.2M | -3.0% | 5,816 t | $3.12 | $27.3M | 6,691 t |
| October 2025 | $13.5M | -19.5% | 6,090 t | $2.22 | $27.9M | 7,120 t |
| September 2025 | $16.0M | +5.0% | 7,182 t | $2.23 | $28.5M | 7,309 t |
| August 2025 | $14.5M | -6.0% | 7,065 t | $2.05 | $29.7M | 7,383 t |
| July 2025 | $17.0M | 0.0% | 7,761 t | $2.19 | $27.6M | 6,984 t |
| June 2025 | $14.0M | -12.7% | 6,328 t | $2.21 | $26.5M | 6,874 t |
| May 2025 | $13.3M | -17.8% | 6,019 t | $2.21 | $26.0M | 6,537 t |
| April 2025 | $16.0M | -14.4% | 7,287 t | $2.20 | $28.3M | 7,109 t |
| March 2025 | $15.1M | -0.8% | 6,481 t | $2.33 | $25.1M | 6,210 t |
| February 2025 | $15.7M | +8.8% | 6,750 t | $2.32 | $19.9M | 5,064 t |
| January 2025 | $17.4M | +10.4% | 7,636 t | $2.28 | $26.1M | 7,125 t |
| December 2024 | $15.4M | +1.9% | 6,881 t | $2.24 | $30.5M | 8,001 t |
| November 2024 | $18.7M | +20.1% | 8,272 t | $2.27 | $28.7M | 6,761 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.