Nuclear reactors and fuel elements: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8401 · 원자로, 방사선을 조사(照射)하지 않은 원자로용 연료 요소(카트리지)와 동위원소 분리용 기기 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $27,441 of nuclear reactors and fuel elements (HS 8401). The figures for September 2026 ($0) and October 2025 ($367) are too small for a percentage comparison.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of nuclear reactors and fuel elements (HS 8401) totalled $475.5 million, up 30.9% from the 12 months before ($363.1 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United Arab Emirates ($464.1 million, 97.6% of the total), followed by the United States and Brazil.
That was 0.3% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 84 (machinery, boilers and computers) over the same 12 months.
Official description of HS 8401: Nuclear reactors; fuel elements (cartridges), non-irradiated, for nuclear reactors; machinery and apparatus for isotopic separation.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8401
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8401.10 | Nuclear reactors | $3,958 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 8401.20 | Machinery and apparatus for isotopic separation, and parts thereof | $348 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 8401.30 | Fuel elements (cartridges), non-irradiated | $464.1M | 97.6% | +38.9% | $0 |
| 8401.40 | Parts of nuclear reactors | $11.3M | 2.4% | -60.8% | $27K |
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. 16 countries received this product from South Korea in the last 24 months.
| Rank | Country | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | Rank before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | $464.1M | 97.6% | +38.9% | 1 | $0 |
| 2 | United States | $8.5M | 1.8% | +6,243% | 4 | $0 |
| 3 | Brazil | $2.6M | 0.5% | +1.4% | 3 | $0 |
| 4 | Italy | $135K | 0.0% | – | – | $27K |
| 5 | Japan | $101K | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 6 | Canada | $33K | 0.0% | -67.7% | 5 | $0 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | $3,818 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 8 | Sweden | $1,251 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 9 | Vietnam | $238 | 0.0% | – | 6 | $0 |
| 10 | Macao | $220 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 11 | Egypt | $100 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| 12 | United Kingdom | $40 | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
| – | China | $0 | 0.0% | -100.0% | 2 | $0 |
| – | Indonesia | $0 | 0.0% | – | 7 | $0 |
| – | Mongolia | $0 | 0.0% | – | 9 | $0 |
| – | Taiwan | $0 | 0.0% | – | 8 | $0 |
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 | $27K | – | 10 kg | $2,744.10 | $1,420 | 2 kg |
| September 2026 | $0 | -100.0% | 0 kg | – | $718 | 10 kg |
| August 2026 | $124.2M | – | 68.3 t | $1,817.14 | $23K | 1.0 t |
| July 2026 | $14K | – | 210 kg | $67.63 | $150K | 676 kg |
| June 2026 | $149.9M | +15.8% | 96.3 t | $1,556.39 | $165K | 550 kg |
| May 2026 | $0 | – | 0 kg | – | $637 | 11 kg |
| April 2026 | $913K | – | 73.2 t | $12.47 | $6,536 | 95 kg |
| March 2026 | $7.4M | -84.1% | 7.1 t | $1,055.53 | $704 | 155 kg |
| February 2026 | $22K | -100.0% | 2.6 t | $8.28 | $609 | 11 kg |
| January 2026 | $100K | – | 13 kg | $7,676.15 | $2,005 | 1 kg |
| December 2025 | $127K | -99.6% | 6.9 t | $18.52 | $1.7M | 2.0 t |
| November 2025 | $192.7M | +80.7% | 100 t | $1,918.37 | $0 | 0 kg |
| October 2025 | $367 | – | 3 kg | $122.33 | $0 | 0 kg |
| September 2025 | $104K | – | 1.2 t | $88.53 | $5,409 | 201 kg |
| August 2025 | $6 | -100.0% | 72 kg | $0.08 | $930 | 32 kg |
| July 2025 | $342 | – | 9 kg | $38.00 | $786K | 764 kg |
| June 2025 | $129.5M | +73.9% | 69.5 t | $1,863.92 | $210K | 785 kg |
| May 2025 | $0 | -100.0% | 0 kg | – | $15K | 348 kg |
| April 2025 | $4,740 | – | 333 kg | $14.23 | $0 | 0 kg |
| March 2025 | $46.9M | – | 28.1 t | $1,666.34 | $113 | 7 kg |
| February 2025 | $51.2M | – | 30.8 t | $1,663.03 | $0 | 0 kg |
| January 2025 | $0 | -100.0% | 0 kg | – | $0 | 0 kg |
| December 2024 | $28.8M | -68.5% | 152 t | $189.26 | $53K | 269 kg |
| November 2024 | $106.7M | +4,639% | 69.0 t | $1,545.40 | $0 | 0 kg |
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.