Diesel engines: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8408 · 압축점화식 피스톤 내연기관(디젤엔진이나 세미디젤엔진) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $180.0 million of diesel engines (HS 8408), up 9.6% from September 2026 and up 73.6% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of diesel engines (HS 8408) totalled $1.86 billion, up 9.0% from the 12 months before ($1.71 billion).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was China ($1.17 billion, 62.9% of the total), followed by the United States and Vietnam.
That was 1.2% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 84 (machinery, boilers and computers) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $110.1 million (up 185.5% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $69.9 million for the month.
Official description of HS 8408: Compression-ignition internal combustion piston engines (diesel or semi-diesel engines).
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8408
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8408.10 | Marine propulsion engines | $1.22B | 65.5% | +2.2% | $119.8M |
| 8408.10.1000 | With a rating not exceeding 300 kW | $14.7M | 1.2% | +12.4% | $522K |
| 8408.10.2000 | With a rating more than 300 kW, not exceeding 2,000 kW | $14.7M | 1.2% | -19.1% | $386K |
| 8408.10.3000 | With a rating more than 2,000 kW | $1.19B | 97.6% | +2.4% | $118.9M |
| 8408.20 | Engines of a kind used for the propulsion of vehicles of Chapter 87 | $196.4M | 10.5% | +45.1% | $18.1M |
| 8408.20.1000 | Of a cylinder capacity not exceeding 1,000 cc | $26K | 0.0% | -58.1% | $3,787 |
| 8408.20.2000 | Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 1,000 cc but not exceeding 2,000 cc | $34.3M | 17.5% | -4.4% | $2.1M |
| 8408.20.3000 | Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 2,000 cc but not exceeding 4,000 cc | $122.0M | 62.1% | +82.3% | $13.9M |
| 8408.20.4000 | Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 4,000 cc but not exceeding 10,000 cc | $1.9M | 1.0% | -64.3% | $317K |
| 8408.20.5000 | Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 10,000 cc | $38.3M | 19.5% | +40.2% | $1.8M |
| 8408.90 | Other engines | $446.8M | 24.0% | +17.2% | $42.0M |
| 8408.90.1010 | Internal combustion engines for railway locomotives | $59K | 0.0% | – | $59K |
| 8408.90.1090 | Other | $40K | 0.0% | -55.6% | $0 |
| 8408.90.9010 | Internal combustion engines for ships | $536K | 0.1% | +187.3% | $19K |
| 8408.90.9021 | For generating of a power not less than 400 kW (Of a rpm 1,500 or 1,800) | $1.7M | 0.4% | -44.6% | $38K |
| 8408.90.9029 | Other | $15.5M | 3.5% | +11.6% | $426K |
| 8408.90.9030 | Internal combustion engines for heading 84.29 | $13.0M | 2.9% | +33.6% | $886K |
| 8408.90.9090 | Other | $415.9M | 93.1% | +17.4% | $40.6M |
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. 138 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 | $1.17B | 62.9% | +2.0% | 1 | $119.7M |
| 2 | United States | $218.5M | 11.7% | +41.9% | 2 | $19.6M |
| 3 | Vietnam | $110.0M | 5.9% | -1.2% | 3 | $11.9M |
| 4 | Türkiye | $51.4M | 2.8% | -10.9% | 4 | $1.1M |
| 5 | India | $38.8M | 2.1% | +389.7% | 14 | $5.0M |
| 6 | Germany | $27.7M | 1.5% | -29.0% | 5 | $2.1M |
| 7 | Australia | $23.8M | 1.3% | +2,033% | 37 | $1.9M |
| 8 | Netherlands | $21.8M | 1.2% | +157.9% | 13 | $2.1M |
| 9 | Philippines | $19.0M | 1.0% | +1,071% | 28 | $4.6M |
| 10 | France | $18.1M | 1.0% | +7.2% | 7 | $1.1M |
| 11 | Italy | $15.7M | 0.8% | -1.7% | 8 | $182K |
| 12 | United Kingdom | $15.0M | 0.8% | -2.2% | 9 | $2.0M |
| 13 | Poland | $14.8M | 0.8% | +111.3% | 16 | $46K |
| 14 | Czechia | $11.2M | 0.6% | -52.8% | 6 | $0 |
| 15 | Taiwan | $9.9M | 0.5% | -7.9% | 10 | $1.2M |
| 16 | United Arab Emirates | $8.8M | 0.5% | -16.1% | 11 | $964K |
| 17 | Spain | $7.3M | 0.4% | -2.6% | 15 | $203K |
| 18 | Japan | $5.7M | 0.3% | -12.3% | 17 | $519K |
| 19 | Ghana | $5.4M | 0.3% | -4.2% | 18 | $247K |
| 20 | Peru | $4.2M | 0.2% | +30.3% | 19 | $45K |
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 | $180.0M | +73.6% | 16,954 t | $10.62 | $110.1M | 6,362 t |
| September 2026 | $164.2M | +8.1% | 15,896 t | $10.33 | $48.8M | 2,537 t |
| August 2026 | $92.9M | -45.3% | 9,039 t | $10.27 | $37.5M | 2,157 t |
| July 2026 | $232.5M | +40.8% | 20,958 t | $11.09 | $55.9M | 2,838 t |
| June 2026 | $163.0M | -21.0% | 14,243 t | $11.45 | $45.6M | 2,819 t |
| May 2026 | $142.6M | +35.5% | 12,982 t | $10.98 | $40.4M | 2,277 t |
| April 2026 | $169.3M | -14.5% | 15,130 t | $11.19 | $56.2M | 3,338 t |
| March 2026 | $150.5M | +3.5% | 12,540 t | $12.01 | $53.7M | 2,800 t |
| February 2026 | $95.2M | -12.3% | 8,944 t | $10.64 | $42.6M | 2,144 t |
| January 2026 | $145.9M | +39.0% | 13,928 t | $10.47 | $55.9M | 2,883 t |
| December 2025 | $176.7M | +20.6% | 16,243 t | $10.88 | $65.1M | 3,772 t |
| November 2025 | $151.8M | +43.3% | 15,687 t | $9.68 | $52.1M | 2,982 t |
| October 2025 | $103.7M | +23.2% | 9,637 t | $10.76 | $38.6M | 2,605 t |
| September 2025 | $152.0M | -6.8% | 15,329 t | $9.91 | $50.4M | 3,006 t |
| August 2025 | $169.6M | +60.9% | 17,977 t | $9.44 | $42.0M | 2,578 t |
| July 2025 | $165.1M | +29.4% | 14,820 t | $11.14 | $64.8M | 4,069 t |
| June 2025 | $206.4M | +41.8% | 20,912 t | $9.87 | $37.5M | 2,072 t |
| May 2025 | $105.2M | -21.0% | 10,779 t | $9.76 | $51.5M | 2,921 t |
| April 2025 | $198.0M | +18.8% | 20,494 t | $9.66 | $45.0M | 2,334 t |
| March 2025 | $145.4M | -6.0% | 15,734 t | $9.24 | $42.9M | 2,391 t |
| February 2025 | $108.6M | -16.3% | 11,009 t | $9.86 | $44.0M | 2,685 t |
| January 2025 | $104.9M | +31.6% | 12,847 t | $8.17 | $29.5M | 1,784 t |
| December 2024 | $146.5M | -12.6% | 15,744 t | $9.31 | $42.7M | 2,730 t |
| November 2024 | $105.9M | -16.2% | 12,588 t | $8.41 | $37.0M | 1,941 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.