Solid-state storage devices, discs and other recording media: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8523 · 디스크ㆍ테이프ㆍ솔리드 스테이트(solid-state)의 비휘발성 기억장치ㆍ스마트카드와 음성이나 그 밖의 현상의 기록용 기타 매체[기록된 것인지에 상관없으며 디스크 제조용 매트릭스(matrices)와 마스터(master)를 포함하되, 제37류의 물품은 제외한다] · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $5.71 billion of solid-state storage devices, discs and other recording media (HS 8523), down 16.5% from September 2026 and up 542.2% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of solid-state storage devices, discs and other recording media (HS 8523) totalled $46.79 billion, up 301.1% from the 12 months before ($11.67 billion).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($26.70 billion, 57.1% of the total), followed by China and the Netherlands.
That was 10.0% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 85 (electrical machinery and electronics) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $362.6 million (up 60.7% from October 2025), leaving a surplus of $5.35 billion for the month.
Official description of HS 8523: Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, “smart cards” and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena, whether or not recorded, including matrices and masters for the production of discs, but excluding products of Chapter 37.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8523
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8523.21 | Cards incorporating a magnetic stripe, whether or not recording | $1.2M | 0.0% | +400.4% | $914 |
| 8523.29 | Other | $16.4M | 0.0% | +53.6% | $666K |
| 8523.29.1000 | Unrecorded media | $155K | 0.9% | -41.8% | $8,785 |
| 8523.29.2010 | Containing computer software | $3.8M | 23.1% | +20.5% | $435K |
| 8523.29.2020 | Those recorded video | $189K | 1.2% | -29.9% | $35K |
| 8523.29.2030 | Those recorded sound only | $388K | 2.4% | -69.5% | $44K |
| 8523.29.2090 | Other | $11.9M | 72.5% | +107.4% | $143K |
| 8523.41 | Unrecorded | $83.8M | 0.2% | -10.0% | $4.7M |
| 8523.49 | Other | $624.5M | 1.3% | +31.5% | $56.9M |
| 8523.49.1010 | Containing computer software | $27.4M | 4.4% | -12.3% | $2.0M |
| 8523.49.1030 | Those recorded video | $6.2M | 1.0% | +2.7% | $647K |
| 8523.49.1040 | Those recorded sound only | $466.0M | 74.6% | +64.0% | $43.9M |
| 8523.49.1090 | Other | $12.5M | 2.0% | -33.1% | $760K |
| 8523.49.9010 | Containing computer software | $6.7M | 1.1% | -56.6% | $307K |
| 8523.49.9020 | Those recorded video | $547K | 0.1% | -68.4% | $7,462 |
| 8523.49.9030 | Those recorded sound only | $61.8M | 9.9% | -16.7% | $5.0M |
| 8523.49.9090 | Other | $43.3M | 6.9% | -0.6% | $4.4M |
| 8523.51 | Solid-state non-volatile storage devices | $45.83B | 98.0% | +322.2% | $5.64B |
| 8523.51.1000 | Unrecorded media | $45.81B | 99.9% | +322.7% | $5.63B |
| 8523.51.2010 | Containing computer software | $12.8M | 0.0% | +5.2% | $1.1M |
| 8523.51.2020 | Those recorded video | $46K | 0.0% | +50.0% | $0 |
| 8523.51.2030 | Those recorded sound only | $20K | 0.0% | -39.8% | $1,624 |
| 8523.51.2090 | Other | $15.6M | 0.0% | +105.5% | $713K |
| 8523.52 | “Smart cards” | $115.0M | 0.2% | -12.4% | $11.7M |
| 8523.52.1000 | Cards incorporating an electronic integrated circuit and parts thereof | $100.4M | 87.3% | -13.4% | $10.4M |
| 8523.52.2000 | Other, proximity cards and tags | $2.7M | 2.3% | -10.0% | $276K |
| 8523.52.9000 | Other and parts thereof | $11.9M | 10.4% | -3.6% | $1.0M |
| 8523.59 | Other | $78.8M | 0.2% | -3.7% | $2.8M |
| 8523.59.1000 | Unrecorded media | $75.4M | 95.7% | +2.5% | $2.5M |
| 8523.59.2010 | Containing computer software | $1.4M | 1.7% | -68.3% | $34K |
| 8523.59.2020 | Those recorded video | $0 | 0.0% | – | $0 |
| 8523.59.2030 | Those recorded sound only | $5,313 | 0.0% | -99.0% | $1,822 |
| 8523.59.2090 | Other | $2.0M | 2.6% | -39.6% | $208K |
| 8523.80 | Other | $35.2M | 0.1% | +102.9% | $2.3M |
| 8523.80.1000 | Unrecorded media | $1.7M | 4.7% | +101.0% | $159K |
| 8523.80.2010 | Containing computer software | $6.3M | 18.0% | +156.4% | $308K |
| 8523.80.2020 | Those recorded video | $54K | 0.2% | -86.0% | $5,835 |
| 8523.80.2030 | Those recorded sound only | $4.0M | 11.3% | +173.0% | $223K |
| 8523.80.2090 | Other | $23.2M | 65.8% | +89.8% | $1.6M |
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. 190 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 | $26.70B | 57.1% | +393.6% | 1 | $3.85B |
| 2 | China | $3.75B | 8.0% | +167.3% | 2 | $353.9M |
| 3 | Netherlands | $3.42B | 7.3% | +192.3% | 3 | $317.2M |
| 4 | Hong Kong | $3.25B | 6.9% | +280.0% | 4 | $182.9M |
| 5 | Mexico | $1.88B | 4.0% | +677.9% | 7 | $107.9M |
| 6 | Singapore | $1.34B | 2.9% | +681.5% | 11 | $82.3M |
| 7 | Taiwan | $1.29B | 2.8% | +194.4% | 6 | $100.2M |
| 8 | Poland | $944.6M | 2.0% | +336.8% | 8 | $119.6M |
| 9 | Malaysia | $890.6M | 1.9% | +408.7% | 9 | $178.6M |
| 10 | Japan | $686.1M | 1.5% | +29.5% | 5 | $68.4M |
| 11 | Vietnam | $497.4M | 1.1% | +200.5% | 12 | $33.7M |
| 12 | Czechia | $496.2M | 1.1% | +183.7% | 10 | $13.6M |
| 13 | Hungary | $334.6M | 0.7% | +530.8% | 18 | $46.8M |
| 14 | Thailand | $330.5M | 0.7% | +350.3% | 16 | $62.1M |
| 15 | Ireland | $272.9M | 0.6% | +296.8% | 17 | $107.9M |
| 16 | Germany | $169.8M | 0.4% | +123.0% | 15 | $27.1M |
| 17 | Austria | $133.8M | 0.3% | +12.6% | 13 | $17.2M |
| 18 | India | $125.5M | 0.3% | +176.3% | 19 | $24.4M |
| 19 | United Kingdom | $41.2M | 0.1% | +159.6% | 23 | $7.3M |
| 20 | Australia | $38.8M | 0.1% | +17.1% | 20 | $2.1M |
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 | $5.71B | +542.2% | 1,536 t | $3,721.21 | $362.6M | 437 t |
| September 2026 | $6.84B | +488.7% | 1,502 t | $4,556.51 | $303.2M | 483 t |
| August 2026 | $6.06B | +450.1% | 1,410 t | $4,299.29 | $344.9M | 439 t |
| July 2026 | $4.59B | +454.4% | 1,270 t | $3,613.49 | $249.0M | 424 t |
| June 2026 | $5.26B | +338.3% | 1,718 t | $3,060.00 | $325.8M | 382 t |
| May 2026 | $4.04B | +318.3% | 1,277 t | $3,163.43 | $285.0M | 394 t |
| April 2026 | $3.92B | +649.9% | 1,392 t | $2,813.98 | $281.4M | 401 t |
| March 2026 | $3.30B | +211.0% | 1,939 t | $1,700.25 | $274.0M | 406 t |
| February 2026 | $2.49B | +269.4% | 2,013 t | $1,239.08 | $270.2M | 385 t |
| January 2026 | $1.43B | +106.7% | 1,718 t | $833.72 | $272.5M | 419 t |
| December 2025 | $1.88B | +38.6% | 1,553 t | $1,211.30 | $331.0M | 399 t |
| November 2025 | $1.26B | +4.3% | 1,077 t | $1,171.78 | $244.1M | 368 t |
| October 2025 | $889.8M | +13.3% | 1,350 t | $659.08 | $225.7M | 308 t |
| September 2025 | $1.16B | -15.1% | 1,935 t | $600.67 | $222.3M | 365 t |
| August 2025 | $1.10B | -16.6% | 1,373 t | $802.42 | $315.5M | 319 t |
| July 2025 | $828.1M | -19.7% | 1,564 t | $529.62 | $348.9M | 389 t |
| June 2025 | $1.20B | +15.7% | 1,311 t | $915.00 | $262.9M | 345 t |
| May 2025 | $966.1M | +5.6% | 1,571 t | $614.93 | $250.8M | 359 t |
| April 2025 | $522.3M | -19.3% | 1,652 t | $316.18 | $223.2M | 272 t |
| March 2025 | $1.06B | +39.9% | 946 t | $1,120.52 | $205.0M | 320 t |
| February 2025 | $675.3M | +35.1% | 1,024 t | $659.37 | $130.0M | 257 t |
| January 2025 | $693.0M | +26.1% | 886 t | $782.17 | $160.3M | 263 t |
| December 2024 | $1.36B | +141.8% | 1,157 t | $1,173.35 | $202.4M | 338 t |
| November 2024 | $1.21B | +162.5% | 1,057 t | $1,144.75 | $200.5M | 318 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.