Shipping containers: South Korea exports and imports
HS 8609 · 컨테이너(액체운반용 컨테이너를 포함하며, 하나 이상의 운송수단으로 운반할 수 있도록 특별히 설계되고 구조를 갖춘 것으로 한정한다) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $18.8 million of shipping containers (HS 8609), down 17.2% from September 2026 and up 19.0% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of shipping containers (HS 8609) totalled $273.9 million, up 52.4% from the 12 months before ($179.7 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the Netherlands ($96.4 million, 35.2% of the total), followed by China and the United States.
That was 32.5% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 86 (railway and tramway equipment) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $30.6 million (up 40.7% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $11.8 million for the month.
Official description of HS 8609: Containers (including containers for the transport of fluids) specially designed and equipped for carriage by one or more modes of transport.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 8609
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8609.00 | HS 860900 | $273.9M | 100.0% | +52.4% | $18.8M |
| 8609.00.1000 | For the transport of fluids | $16.9M | 6.2% | +35.3% | $1.5M |
| 8609.00.2000 | For the transport of compressed gas | $60.9M | 22.2% | +24.8% | $5.3M |
| 8609.00.3000 | For the transport of ordinary goods and material | $32.0M | 11.7% | -25.4% | $2.3M |
| 8609.00.4000 | For the transport of live animals | $615K | 0.2% | -11.2% | $59K |
| 8609.00.5000 | Of freezer and refrigerator | $8.9M | 3.3% | +282.8% | $431K |
| 8609.00.9000 | Other | $154.5M | 56.4% | +113.2% | $9.3M |
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. 73 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 | Netherlands | $96.4M | 35.2% | +91.3% | 1 | $8.1M |
| 2 | China | $30.7M | 11.2% | +51.4% | 4 | $2.7M |
| 3 | United States | $24.7M | 9.0% | +3.0% | 3 | $1.8M |
| 4 | Belgium | $23.9M | 8.7% | +324.4% | 8 | $2,537 |
| 5 | Japan | $20.2M | 7.4% | -22.7% | 2 | $2.2M |
| 6 | Taiwan | $19.1M | 7.0% | +5.0% | 5 | $1.1M |
| 7 | India | $14.5M | 5.3% | +931.2% | 13 | $86K |
| 8 | Singapore | $13.6M | 5.0% | +63.8% | 6 | $1.1M |
| 9 | United Kingdom | $6.1M | 2.2% | -10.8% | 7 | $478K |
| 10 | Hungary | $5.8M | 2.1% | +227.5% | 12 | $17K |
| 11 | Thailand | $3.4M | 1.2% | +0.4% | 10 | $148K |
| 12 | Switzerland | $3.4M | 1.2% | +72.2% | 11 | $200 |
| 13 | Italy | $1.6M | 0.6% | +463.2% | 23 | $503K |
| 14 | Poland | $1.4M | 0.5% | +101.3% | 18 | $82K |
| 15 | Russia | $1.4M | 0.5% | -61.4% | 9 | $0 |
| 16 | Indonesia | $1.3M | 0.5% | +42.3% | 15 | $89K |
| 17 | Tajikistan | $792K | 0.3% | +110.3% | 19 | $0 |
| 18 | Sweden | $784K | 0.3% | – | – | $0 |
| 19 | Germany | $671K | 0.2% | -16.6% | 16 | $13K |
| 20 | Australia | $476K | 0.2% | +832.8% | 31 | $7,163 |
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 | $18.8M | +19.0% | 9,608 t | $1.95 | $30.6M | 12,648 t |
| September 2026 | $22.7M | +61.8% | 9,895 t | $2.29 | $35.3M | 11,716 t |
| August 2026 | $31.2M | +113.2% | 10,165 t | $3.07 | $26.5M | 11,322 t |
| July 2026 | $27.0M | +109.7% | 10,887 t | $2.48 | $31.6M | 12,632 t |
| June 2026 | $27.5M | +135.2% | 10,457 t | $2.63 | $33.4M | 15,398 t |
| May 2026 | $23.4M | +67.3% | 9,363 t | $2.50 | $30.6M | 11,968 t |
| April 2026 | $27.5M | +23.5% | 12,180 t | $2.26 | $27.5M | 13,406 t |
| March 2026 | $21.3M | +46.0% | 11,831 t | $1.80 | $27.5M | 12,701 t |
| February 2026 | $19.0M | +8.2% | 9,655 t | $1.97 | $26.2M | 10,246 t |
| January 2026 | $14.2M | +4.4% | 9,939 t | $1.43 | $22.1M | 10,826 t |
| December 2025 | $19.5M | +31.0% | 10,405 t | $1.87 | $30.6M | 11,677 t |
| November 2025 | $21.8M | +58.7% | 10,010 t | $2.17 | $21.8M | 6,490 t |
| October 2025 | $15.8M | -15.7% | 9,667 t | $1.63 | $21.8M | 8,309 t |
| September 2025 | $14.0M | +27.9% | 10,221 t | $1.37 | $25.0M | 10,377 t |
| August 2025 | $14.6M | +14.6% | 8,742 t | $1.68 | $16.7M | 9,007 t |
| July 2025 | $12.9M | -7.2% | 9,912 t | $1.30 | $20.3M | 8,627 t |
| June 2025 | $11.7M | +8.6% | 9,189 t | $1.27 | $24.7M | 7,628 t |
| May 2025 | $14.0M | +22.2% | 8,705 t | $1.60 | $17.1M | 7,430 t |
| April 2025 | $22.3M | +56.4% | 10,049 t | $2.22 | $19.9M | 10,758 t |
| March 2025 | $14.6M | -2.4% | 10,303 t | $1.41 | $24.8M | 10,130 t |
| February 2025 | $17.6M | +43.2% | 10,594 t | $1.66 | $16.7M | 9,557 t |
| January 2025 | $13.6M | +9.3% | 9,312 t | $1.46 | $15.1M | 9,095 t |
| December 2024 | $14.9M | +4.2% | 9,422 t | $1.58 | $27.9M | 11,457 t |
| November 2024 | $13.7M | -1.3% | 8,908 t | $1.54 | $25.5M | 9,240 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.