Ignition and starting equipment for engines: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8511 · 불꽃점화식이나 압축점화식 내연기관의 점화용ㆍ시동용 전기기기(예: 점화용 자석발전기ㆍ자석발전기ㆍ점화코일ㆍ점화플러그ㆍ예열플러그ㆍ시동전동기), 내연기관에 부속되는 발전기(예: 직류발전기ㆍ교류발전기)와 개폐기 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $38.7 million of ignition and starting equipment for engines (HS 8511), down 7.8% from September 2026 and down 1.6% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of ignition and starting equipment for engines (HS 8511) totalled $481.4 million, down 7.8% from the 12 months before ($521.9 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($159.6 million, 33.2% of the total), followed by Mexico and Japan.
That was 0.1% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 85 (electrical machinery and electronics) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $26.5 million (up 2.9% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $12.2 million for the month.
Official description of HS 8511: Electrical ignition or starting equipment of a kind used for spark-ignition or compression-ignition internal combustion engines (for example, ignition magnetos, magneto-dynamos, ignition coils, sparking plugs and glow plugs, starter motors); generators (for example, dynamos, alternators) and cut-outs of a kind used in conjunction with such engines.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8511
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8511.10 | Sparking plugs | $70.4M | 14.6% | +3.0% | $6.4M |
| 8511.10.1000 | For aircrafts | $674K | 1.0% | +15.9% | $37K |
| 8511.10.2000 | For vehicles of Chapter 87 | $11.6M | 16.5% | +209.4% | $1.2M |
| 8511.10.9000 | Other | $58.1M | 82.5% | -9.3% | $5.1M |
| 8511.20 | Ignition Magnetos; magneto-dynamos; magnetic flywheels | $22K | 0.0% | -57.2% | $9,020 |
| 8511.20.1000 | For aircrafts | $0 | 0.0% | -100.0% | $0 |
| 8511.20.9000 | Other | $22K | 100.0% | – | $9,020 |
| 8511.30 | Distributors; ignition coils | $40.2M | 8.3% | +5.3% | $3.0M |
| 8511.30.1000 | For aircrafts | $144K | 0.4% | +542.7% | $3,444 |
| 8511.30.9000 | Other | $40.0M | 99.6% | +5.0% | $3.0M |
| 8511.40 | Starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators | $118.1M | 24.5% | -24.2% | $8.4M |
| 8511.40.1000 | For aircrafts | $3.5M | 3.0% | -21.1% | $3,000 |
| 8511.40.2000 | For vehicles of Chapter 87 | $12.8M | 10.9% | +74.9% | $793K |
| 8511.40.9000 | Other | $101.8M | 86.1% | -29.3% | $7.6M |
| 8511.50 | Other generators | $152.1M | 31.6% | -1.7% | $12.3M |
| 8511.50.1000 | For aircrafts | $9.6M | 6.3% | +24.0% | $394K |
| 8511.50.9000 | Other | $142.6M | 93.7% | -3.0% | $12.0M |
| 8511.80 | Other equipment | $931K | 0.2% | -47.0% | $45K |
| 8511.80.1000 | For aircraft | $203K | 21.8% | -82.7% | $4,070 |
| 8511.80.9000 | Other | $728K | 78.2% | +24.1% | $41K |
| 8511.90 | Parts | $99.6M | 20.7% | -3.3% | $8.5M |
| 8511.90.1000 | For aircraft | $502K | 0.5% | +51.0% | $3,344 |
| 8511.90.9000 | Other | $99.1M | 99.5% | -3.5% | $8.5M |
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. 152 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 | $159.6M | 33.2% | +2.6% | 1 | $13.9M |
| 2 | Mexico | $69.7M | 14.5% | +42.9% | 3 | $7.1M |
| 3 | Japan | $42.4M | 8.8% | +10.6% | 4 | $2.8M |
| 4 | Slovakia | $34.2M | 7.1% | -55.0% | 2 | $1.9M |
| 5 | China | $19.3M | 4.0% | -36.8% | 5 | $1.7M |
| 6 | Indonesia | $18.8M | 3.9% | -15.2% | 7 | $1.5M |
| 7 | India | $17.6M | 3.7% | -34.7% | 6 | $1.6M |
| 8 | Brazil | $16.6M | 3.4% | +9.9% | 8 | $736K |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | $12.4M | 2.6% | -1.1% | 9 | $1.2M |
| 10 | Thailand | $8.2M | 1.7% | -18.5% | 10 | $440K |
| 11 | Germany | $7.7M | 1.6% | -1.8% | 11 | $484K |
| 12 | Poland | $6.4M | 1.3% | -11.5% | 12 | $95K |
| 13 | United Kingdom | $6.3M | 1.3% | +9.2% | 14 | $315K |
| 14 | Belgium | $6.1M | 1.3% | +8.4% | 15 | $479K |
| 15 | Türkiye | $5.7M | 1.2% | -13.1% | 13 | $328K |
| 16 | Uzbekistan | $4.7M | 1.0% | -5.9% | 16 | $466K |
| 17 | Czechia | $4.0M | 0.8% | -12.3% | 17 | $423K |
| 18 | Hungary | $3.4M | 0.7% | +60.5% | 27 | $326K |
| 19 | Saudi Arabia | $3.0M | 0.6% | -20.4% | 18 | $188K |
| 20 | Spain | $2.9M | 0.6% | +20.5% | 24 | $116K |
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 | $38.7M | -1.6% | 2,725 t | $14.18 | $26.5M | 1,153 t |
| September 2026 | $41.9M | -5.8% | 2,850 t | $14.70 | $28.0M | 1,226 t |
| August 2026 | $39.4M | +0.4% | 2,680 t | $14.70 | $23.2M | 896 t |
| July 2026 | $47.7M | +3.7% | 3,294 t | $14.49 | $26.3M | 1,098 t |
| June 2026 | $41.6M | +11.3% | 3,056 t | $13.62 | $28.1M | 1,305 t |
| May 2026 | $38.7M | -4.0% | 2,741 t | $14.11 | $29.2M | 1,262 t |
| April 2026 | $45.8M | -3.0% | 3,228 t | $14.20 | $31.5M | 1,336 t |
| March 2026 | $41.9M | -4.7% | 2,829 t | $14.82 | $26.7M | 1,056 t |
| February 2026 | $31.0M | -39.8% | 2,129 t | $14.57 | $23.1M | 1,005 t |
| January 2026 | $35.9M | -9.4% | 2,404 t | $14.94 | $29.3M | 1,204 t |
| December 2025 | $41.3M | -5.7% | 2,596 t | $15.91 | $27.3M | 1,320 t |
| November 2025 | $37.5M | -23.6% | 2,460 t | $15.24 | $20.4M | 990 t |
| October 2025 | $39.3M | -26.6% | 2,494 t | $15.75 | $25.7M | 1,102 t |
| September 2025 | $44.5M | -9.5% | 3,038 t | $14.64 | $24.0M | 1,174 t |
| August 2025 | $39.2M | +1.2% | 2,602 t | $15.08 | $23.7M | 1,141 t |
| July 2025 | $46.0M | +8.7% | 3,054 t | $15.07 | $34.0M | 1,400 t |
| June 2025 | $37.4M | -16.3% | 2,603 t | $14.36 | $30.0M | 1,456 t |
| May 2025 | $40.3M | -19.7% | 2,737 t | $14.71 | $27.1M | 1,336 t |
| April 2025 | $47.2M | -14.4% | 3,200 t | $14.76 | $29.7M | 1,339 t |
| March 2025 | $44.0M | -14.2% | 3,006 t | $14.63 | $19.8M | 925 t |
| February 2025 | $51.5M | -3.0% | 3,299 t | $15.61 | $24.6M | 1,014 t |
| January 2025 | $39.7M | -20.1% | 2,755 t | $14.40 | $20.7M | 1,143 t |
| December 2024 | $43.8M | -11.2% | 2,819 t | $15.53 | $25.6M | 1,202 t |
| November 2024 | $49.1M | -3.5% | 3,136 t | $15.65 | $25.9M | 1,386 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.