Files, rasps, pliers, pincers, tweezers, metal cutting shears, pipe-cutters, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8203 · 줄ㆍ플라이어(plier)[절단용 플라이어(plier)를 포함한다]ㆍ집게ㆍ핀셋ㆍ금속 절단용 가위ㆍ파이프커터(pipe-cutter)ㆍ볼트크로퍼(bolt cropper)ㆍ천공펀치와 이와 유사한 수공구 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $909,189 of files, rasps, pliers, pincers, tweezers, metal cutting shears, pipe-cutters, etc. (HS 8203), up 0.7% from September 2026 and up 59.6% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of files, rasps, pliers, pincers, tweezers, metal cutting shears, pipe-cutters, etc. (HS 8203) totalled $10.1 million, up 69.8% from the 12 months before ($5.9 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($5.5 million, 54.4% of the total), followed by China and Japan.
That was 0.4% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 82 (tools and cutlery of base metal) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $4.2 million (up 46.5% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $3.3 million for the month.
Official description of HS 8203: Files, rasps, pliers (including cutting pliers), pincers, tweezers, metal cutting shears, pipe-cutters, bolt croppers, perforating punches and similar hand tools.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8203
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8203.10 | Files, rasps and similar tools | $741K | 7.3% | -27.2% | $45K |
| 8203.20 | Pliers (including cutting pliers), pincers, tweezers and similar tools | $7.4M | 73.5% | +169.8% | $719K |
| 8203.20.1000 | Pliers (including cutting pliers) | $1.6M | 22.1% | +119.0% | $353K |
| 8203.20.2000 | Pincers | $4.4M | 59.5% | +980.2% | $221K |
| 8203.20.3000 | Tweezers | $622K | 8.4% | -22.5% | $56K |
| 8203.20.9000 | Other | $746K | 10.1% | -5.5% | $89K |
| 8203.30 | Metal cutting shears and similar tools | $116K | 1.1% | -32.6% | $11K |
| 8203.40 | Pipe-cutters, bolt croppers, perforating punches and similar tools | $1.8M | 18.0% | -9.2% | $134K |
| 8203.40.1000 | Pipe cutters | $262K | 14.4% | +5.4% | $73K |
| 8203.40.2000 | Bolt croppers and clippers | $127K | 7.0% | -33.8% | $2,553 |
| 8203.40.3000 | Perforating punches | $185K | 10.2% | -59.1% | $9,158 |
| 8203.40.9000 | Other | $1.2M | 68.4% | +12.2% | $49K |
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. 122 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 | $5.5M | 54.4% | +448.3% | 2 | $462K |
| 2 | China | $1.8M | 17.7% | +15.4% | 1 | $185K |
| 3 | Japan | $637K | 6.3% | -31.0% | 3 | $54K |
| 4 | Vietnam | $459K | 4.6% | +2.5% | 4 | $21K |
| 5 | Indonesia | $200K | 2.0% | -1.7% | 6 | $15K |
| 6 | Canada | $146K | 1.4% | +252.6% | 16 | $6,259 |
| 7 | Netherlands | $98K | 1.0% | -36.1% | 9 | $657 |
| 8 | Germany | $95K | 0.9% | -43.2% | 8 | $1,264 |
| 9 | Russia | $93K | 0.9% | -44.5% | 7 | $14K |
| 10 | Australia | $81K | 0.8% | +114.8% | 18 | $24K |
| 11 | Singapore | $71K | 0.7% | +110.0% | 19 | $2,453 |
| 12 | India | $64K | 0.6% | +157.1% | 25 | $1,147 |
| 13 | Thailand | $61K | 0.6% | +108.3% | 22 | $8 |
| 14 | Mexico | $61K | 0.6% | -31.1% | 11 | $6,270 |
| 15 | Kuwait | $54K | 0.5% | – | 107 | $54K |
| 16 | Hungary | $54K | 0.5% | -7.5% | 14 | $0 |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia | $51K | 0.5% | -48.1% | 10 | $3,429 |
| 18 | Poland | $51K | 0.5% | -17.1% | 13 | $5,137 |
| 19 | Taiwan | $49K | 0.5% | -20.4% | 12 | $8,263 |
| 20 | Kazakhstan | $41K | 0.4% | +146.3% | 29 | $861 |
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 | $909K | +59.6% | 284 t | $3.21 | $4.2M | 247 t |
| September 2026 | $903K | +5.0% | 257 t | $3.51 | $3.5M | 237 t |
| August 2026 | $800K | +46.7% | 249 t | $3.21 | $3.3M | 193 t |
| July 2026 | $860K | +25.5% | 57.3 t | $15.00 | $4.0M | 265 t |
| June 2026 | $1.2M | +106.5% | 156 t | $7.66 | $3.4M | 223 t |
| May 2026 | $888K | +100.3% | 124 t | $7.16 | $3.4M | 266 t |
| April 2026 | $1.5M | +303.6% | 280 t | $5.32 | $3.8M | 267 t |
| March 2026 | $664K | +56.9% | 192 t | $3.45 | $3.1M | 191 t |
| February 2026 | $350K | +42.3% | 132 t | $2.64 | $2.6M | 194 t |
| January 2026 | $551K | +52.9% | 161 t | $3.42 | $3.2M | 245 t |
| December 2025 | $889K | +105.9% | 137 t | $6.47 | $3.6M | 242 t |
| November 2025 | $583K | +37.0% | 199 t | $2.92 | $2.8M | 195 t |
| October 2025 | $570K | +119.3% | 189 t | $3.02 | $2.9M | 236 t |
| September 2025 | $860K | +137.8% | 181 t | $4.76 | $3.5M | 272 t |
| August 2025 | $545K | +24.5% | 92.0 t | $5.93 | $2.7M | 217 t |
| July 2025 | $685K | +113.7% | 141 t | $4.85 | $3.3M | 206 t |
| June 2025 | $579K | +34.8% | 110 t | $5.25 | $2.7M | 211 t |
| May 2025 | $444K | -7.5% | 25.9 t | $17.10 | $3.0M | 207 t |
| April 2025 | $370K | -15.6% | 32.0 t | $11.54 | $3.1M | 204 t |
| March 2025 | $423K | +75.8% | 32.4 t | $13.05 | $2.8M | 199 t |
| February 2025 | $246K | +6.7% | 6.4 t | $38.55 | $2.8M | 184 t |
| January 2025 | $360K | -20.1% | 49.3 t | $7.31 | $2.6M | 205 t |
| December 2024 | $432K | -18.6% | 96.8 t | $4.46 | $3.4M | 205 t |
| November 2024 | $425K | -4.9% | 41.0 t | $10.36 | $2.7M | 206 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.