Welding, soldering and brazing machines: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8515 · 전기식(전기발열에 따른 가스식을 포함한다)ㆍ레이저나 그 밖의 광선식ㆍ광자빔식ㆍ초음파식ㆍ전자빔식ㆍ자기펄스(magnetic pulse)식ㆍ플라즈마 아크(plasma arc)식 납땜용ㆍ땜질용이나 용접용 기기(절단기능이 있는지에 상관없다), 금속이나 서멧(cermet)의 가열분사용 전기식 기기 · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $38.1 million of welding, soldering and brazing machines (HS 8515), down 16.0% from September 2026 and down 4.0% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of welding, soldering and brazing machines (HS 8515) totalled $449.4 million, down 4.5% from the 12 months before ($470.8 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($118.9 million, 26.5% of the total), followed by China and India.
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 $17.3 million (down 34.6% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $20.8 million for the month.
Official description of HS 8515: Electric (including electrically heated gas), laser or other light or photon beam, ultrasonic, electron beam, magnetic pulse or plasma arc soldering, brazing or welding machines and apparatus, whether or not capable of cutting; electric machines and apparatus for hot spraying of metals or cermets.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8515
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8515.11 | Soldering irons and guns | $485K | 0.1% | +8.9% | $15K |
| 8515.19 | Other | $34.4M | 7.7% | +71.5% | $2.7M |
| 8515.19.1000 | Wave soldering machine of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies | $4.3M | 12.4% | +13.5% | $422K |
| 8515.19.9000 | Other | $30.1M | 87.6% | +84.9% | $2.3M |
| 8515.21 | Fully or partly automatic | $59.2M | 13.2% | -10.9% | $2.3M |
| 8515.21.1010 | Of robot type | $10.4M | 17.5% | -35.0% | $275K |
| 8515.21.1090 | Other | $8.3M | 14.0% | -15.7% | $308K |
| 8515.21.2010 | Of robot type | $9,734 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 8515.21.2090 | Other | $1000K | 1.7% | +239.1% | $0 |
| 8515.21.3010 | Of robot type | $80K | 0.1% | – | $0 |
| 8515.21.3090 | Other | $49K | 0.1% | -57.6% | $21K |
| 8515.21.9010 | Of robot type | $4.3M | 7.3% | -63.3% | $449K |
| 8515.21.9090 | Other | $35.1M | 59.2% | +23.4% | $1.2M |
| 8515.29 | Other | $8.2M | 1.8% | -16.0% | $438K |
| 8515.29.1000 | Spot welders | $2.0M | 24.5% | -47.2% | $214K |
| 8515.29.2000 | Seam welders | $1,000 | 0.0% | -99.9% | $0 |
| 8515.29.3000 | Butt welders | $83K | 1.0% | +56.4% | $1,805 |
| 8515.29.9000 | Other | $6.1M | 74.4% | +17.6% | $223K |
| 8515.31 | Fully or partly automatic | $34.2M | 7.6% | -27.2% | $3.9M |
| 8515.31.1010 | Of robot type | $4.8M | 13.9% | +93.7% | $414K |
| 8515.31.1090 | Other | $12.5M | 36.4% | +22.4% | $1.6M |
| 8515.31.9010 | Of robot type | $4.0M | 11.7% | +95.6% | $1.6M |
| 8515.31.9090 | Other | $13.0M | 38.0% | -59.8% | $419K |
| 8515.39 | Other | $6.6M | 1.5% | -2.4% | $159K |
| 8515.39.1000 | AC arc welding machines and apparatus | $528K | 8.0% | -32.3% | $5,174 |
| 8515.39.9000 | Other | $6.0M | 92.0% | +1.5% | $154K |
| 8515.80 | Other machines and apparatus | $204.9M | 45.6% | -4.5% | $19.7M |
| 8515.80.1000 | Ultrasonic machines | $23.5M | 11.5% | +87.3% | $1.5M |
| 8515.80.2000 | Electron beam machines | $143K | 0.1% | -77.4% | $0 |
| 8515.80.3000 | Laser operated machines | $123.4M | 60.2% | +26.4% | $14.3M |
| 8515.80.9000 | Other | $57.8M | 28.2% | -44.2% | $3.9M |
| 8515.90 | Parts | $101.4M | 22.6% | -4.1% | $8.9M |
| 8515.90.1010 | Of a laser operated welder | $1.1M | 1.0% | -5.5% | $36K |
| 8515.90.1090 | Other | $51.9M | 51.2% | -15.7% | $6.1M |
| 8515.90.2000 | Of wave soldering machine of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies | $3.6M | 3.6% | -64.7% | $125K |
| 8515.90.9000 | Other | $44.8M | 44.2% | +36.5% | $2.6M |
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. 129 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 | $118.9M | 26.5% | -36.1% | 1 | $12.5M |
| 2 | China | $60.6M | 13.5% | -14.6% | 2 | $4.8M |
| 3 | India | $57.3M | 12.8% | +107.7% | 4 | $4.7M |
| 4 | Malaysia | $32.2M | 7.2% | +218.1% | 7 | $84K |
| 5 | Hungary | $27.8M | 6.2% | +3,673% | 28 | $5.2M |
| 6 | Vietnam | $22.2M | 4.9% | -11.2% | 5 | $1.1M |
| 7 | Mexico | $19.5M | 4.3% | -39.0% | 3 | $1.5M |
| 8 | Thailand | $17.9M | 4.0% | +172.4% | 14 | $1.7M |
| 9 | Türkiye | $13.4M | 3.0% | +348.4% | 19 | $648K |
| 10 | Brazil | $10.1M | 2.3% | +15.5% | 12 | $16K |
| 11 | Japan | $9.1M | 2.0% | +23.0% | 13 | $509K |
| 12 | Slovakia | $5.5M | 1.2% | -39.6% | 11 | $2.1M |
| 13 | Czechia | $5.2M | 1.2% | -48.1% | 8 | $244K |
| 14 | Taiwan | $5.2M | 1.1% | +445.7% | 25 | $1.3M |
| 15 | Indonesia | $4.9M | 1.1% | +22.5% | 17 | $251K |
| 16 | Kazakhstan | $4.6M | 1.0% | -50.3% | 10 | $28K |
| 17 | Azerbaijan | $4.4M | 1.0% | +18,542% | 70 | $0 |
| 18 | Uzbekistan | $4.0M | 0.9% | -74.0% | 6 | $28K |
| 19 | Poland | $3.9M | 0.9% | +19.6% | 18 | $153K |
| 20 | Philippines | $2.8M | 0.6% | -45.6% | 15 | $177K |
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 | $38.1M | -4.0% | 634 t | $60.07 | $17.3M | 408 t |
| September 2026 | $45.4M | +100.5% | 846 t | $53.62 | $23.8M | 518 t |
| August 2026 | $27.5M | -12.6% | 840 t | $32.71 | $20.4M | 405 t |
| July 2026 | $37.0M | +8.8% | 863 t | $42.86 | $20.6M | 381 t |
| June 2026 | $52.0M | +104.8% | 1,069 t | $48.61 | $21.4M | 442 t |
| May 2026 | $40.0M | -39.2% | 809 t | $49.48 | $16.2M | 477 t |
| April 2026 | $39.8M | +43.7% | 690 t | $57.67 | $25.2M | 643 t |
| March 2026 | $25.9M | -66.1% | 482 t | $53.79 | $28.3M | 753 t |
| February 2026 | $39.4M | -3.9% | 837 t | $47.14 | $31.7M | 857 t |
| January 2026 | $31.8M | +9.6% | 739 t | $42.98 | $33.2M | 973 t |
| December 2025 | $30.3M | -29.0% | 627 t | $48.33 | $22.9M | 551 t |
| November 2025 | $42.2M | +20.9% | 948 t | $44.52 | $23.2M | 615 t |
| October 2025 | $39.7M | +8.4% | 901 t | $44.06 | $26.4M | 865 t |
| September 2025 | $22.6M | -43.0% | 852 t | $26.55 | $18.7M | 506 t |
| August 2025 | $31.4M | +12.3% | 937 t | $33.53 | $17.2M | 369 t |
| July 2025 | $34.0M | -14.0% | 819 t | $41.56 | $15.8M | 441 t |
| June 2025 | $25.4M | -25.2% | 669 t | $37.90 | $23.5M | 448 t |
| May 2025 | $65.9M | -12.5% | 1,121 t | $58.73 | $16.7M | 460 t |
| April 2025 | $27.7M | -66.7% | 429 t | $64.55 | $18.2M | 619 t |
| March 2025 | $76.5M | +44.3% | 1,581 t | $48.37 | $17.1M | 526 t |
| February 2025 | $41.0M | -41.8% | 1,237 t | $33.18 | $14.3M | 337 t |
| January 2025 | $29.0M | -54.5% | 754 t | $38.42 | $14.0M | 522 t |
| December 2024 | $42.7M | -45.4% | 934 t | $45.69 | $18.4M | 626 t |
| November 2024 | $34.9M | -52.2% | 848 t | $41.15 | $13.3M | 338 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.