Wire, rods, tubes, plates, electrodes and similar products, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8311 · 비금속(卑金屬)이나 금속탄화물로 만든 선ㆍ봉ㆍ관ㆍ판ㆍ용접봉과 이와 유사한 물품[금속이나 금속탄화물의 납땜ㆍ납접ㆍ용접ㆍ용착에 사용하는 것으로서 플럭스(flux)를 도포하였거나 심(芯)에 충전한 것으로 한정한다], 비금속(卑金屬) 가루를 응결시켜 제조한 금속 스프레이(metal spraying)용 선과 봉 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $16.8 million of wire, rods, tubes, plates, electrodes and similar products, etc. (HS 8311), up 5.2% from September 2026 and up 27.3% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of wire, rods, tubes, plates, electrodes and similar products, etc. (HS 8311) totalled $187.9 million, up 1.5% from the 12 months before ($185.2 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($25.2 million, 13.4% of the total), followed by the United States and Japan.
That was 11.4% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 83 (miscellaneous articles of base metal) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $5.2 million (up 100.4% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $11.7 million for the month.
Official description of HS 8311: Wire, rods, tubes, plates, electrodes and similar products, of base metal or of metal carbides, coated or cored with flux material, of a kind used for soldering, brazing, welding or deposition of metal or of metal carbides; wire and rods, of agglomerated base metal powder, used for metal spraying.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8311
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8311.10 | Coated electrodes of base metal, for electric arc-welding | $23.4M | 12.5% | -11.0% | $2.6M |
| 8311.10.1000 | For use in manufacturing semiconductor | $4,428 | 0.0% | -87.1% | $0 |
| 8311.10.9000 | Other | $23.4M | 100.0% | -10.9% | $2.6M |
| 8311.20 | Cored wire of base metal, for electric arc-welding | $139.8M | 74.4% | +0.4% | $12.2M |
| 8311.20.1000 | For use in manufacturing semiconductor | $231 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 8311.20.9000 | Other | $139.8M | 100.0% | +0.4% | $12.2M |
| 8311.30 | Coated rods and cored wire, of base metal, for soldering, brazing or welding by flame | $14.0M | 7.4% | +16.9% | $1.3M |
| 8311.30.1000 | For use in manufacturing semiconductor | $715K | 5.1% | +11.7% | $84K |
| 8311.30.9010 | Lead-tin alloy solders | $2.1M | 15.2% | +9.3% | $84K |
| 8311.30.9090 | Other | $11.1M | 79.7% | +18.9% | $1.1M |
| 8311.90 | Other | $10.7M | 5.7% | +40.1% | $740K |
| 8311.90.1000 | For use in manufacturing semiconductor | $2,000 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 8311.90.9000 | Other | $10.7M | 100.0% | +40.1% | $740K |
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. 111 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 | $25.2M | 13.4% | +9.6% | 2 | $2.1M |
| 2 | United States | $24.2M | 12.9% | -2.0% | 1 | $2.0M |
| 3 | Japan | $20.9M | 11.1% | -3.9% | 3 | $2.0M |
| 4 | Vietnam | $17.7M | 9.4% | +33.8% | 4 | $1.6M |
| 5 | India | $9.5M | 5.1% | +22.6% | 6 | $768K |
| 6 | Türkiye | $8.9M | 4.7% | -11.1% | 5 | $689K |
| 7 | Canada | $7.3M | 3.9% | +24.9% | 10 | $878K |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia | $6.3M | 3.4% | -8.3% | 9 | $652K |
| 9 | Australia | $6.2M | 3.3% | -18.5% | 7 | $502K |
| 10 | Mexico | $5.9M | 3.1% | -15.1% | 8 | $1.0M |
| 11 | United Arab Emirates | $4.8M | 2.6% | -13.5% | 11 | $386K |
| 12 | Philippines | $4.2M | 2.2% | +67.8% | 19 | $740K |
| 13 | Brazil | $3.7M | 1.9% | +13.5% | 14 | $92K |
| 14 | Chile | $3.6M | 1.9% | +32.3% | 17 | $325K |
| 15 | Singapore | $3.4M | 1.8% | -12.1% | 13 | $267K |
| 16 | Russia | $3.1M | 1.6% | -34.5% | 12 | $84K |
| 17 | Hong Kong | $2.9M | 1.6% | +38.7% | 21 | $143K |
| 18 | Thailand | $2.7M | 1.4% | -4.4% | 16 | $242K |
| 19 | Indonesia | $2.7M | 1.4% | -11.3% | 15 | $230K |
| 20 | Oman | $2.4M | 1.3% | +6.0% | 20 | $356K |
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 | $16.8M | +27.3% | 5,591 t | $3.01 | $5.2M | 1,405 t |
| September 2026 | $16.0M | -0.8% | 4,990 t | $3.20 | $4.4M | 1,603 t |
| August 2026 | $14.2M | 0.0% | 4,691 t | $3.03 | $3.0M | 1,144 t |
| July 2026 | $17.5M | -3.8% | 5,939 t | $2.94 | $5.6M | 1,547 t |
| June 2026 | $15.8M | +6.2% | 4,949 t | $3.20 | $5.2M | 1,760 t |
| May 2026 | $14.9M | -10.3% | 5,155 t | $2.88 | $3.8M | 1,429 t |
| April 2026 | $18.7M | +8.8% | 6,209 t | $3.02 | $3.5M | 1,334 t |
| March 2026 | $16.1M | -3.1% | 5,610 t | $2.88 | $3.0M | 1,064 t |
| February 2026 | $13.6M | -11.7% | 4,857 t | $2.80 | $3.6M | 1,239 t |
| January 2026 | $14.6M | +10.5% | 4,781 t | $3.05 | $3.8M | 1,226 t |
| December 2025 | $14.7M | -0.5% | 4,902 t | $2.99 | $2.8M | 1,098 t |
| November 2025 | $15.0M | +1.2% | 5,139 t | $2.92 | $2.5M | 1,113 t |
| October 2025 | $13.2M | -16.6% | 4,712 t | $2.80 | $2.6M | 970 t |
| September 2025 | $16.1M | -2.8% | 5,146 t | $3.13 | $4.1M | 1,290 t |
| August 2025 | $14.2M | -5.2% | 4,645 t | $3.06 | $2.9M | 935 t |
| July 2025 | $18.2M | +9.4% | 5,862 t | $3.10 | $2.8M | 1,043 t |
| June 2025 | $14.9M | -7.4% | 5,080 t | $2.94 | $2.3M | 911 t |
| May 2025 | $16.6M | +2.0% | 5,572 t | $2.97 | $3.1M | 1,039 t |
| April 2025 | $17.2M | -10.0% | 5,864 t | $2.94 | $2.6M | 1,115 t |
| March 2025 | $16.7M | -5.3% | 5,712 t | $2.92 | $2.7M | 1,176 t |
| February 2025 | $15.4M | -2.6% | 5,387 t | $2.86 | $2.9M | 1,130 t |
| January 2025 | $13.2M | -25.2% | 5,049 t | $2.61 | $2.2M | 913 t |
| December 2024 | $14.7M | +4.1% | 5,463 t | $2.70 | $3.6M | 1,300 t |
| November 2024 | $14.8M | -0.8% | 5,258 t | $2.82 | $3.6M | 1,079 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.