Instruments for physical or chemical analysis: South Korea exports and imports
HS 9027 · 물리나 화학 분석용 기기(예: 편광계ㆍ굴절계ㆍ분광계ㆍ가스나 매연 분석기), 점도ㆍ포로서티(porosity)ㆍ팽창ㆍ표면장력이나 이와 유사한 것의 측정용이나 검사용 기기, 열ㆍ소리ㆍ빛의 양의 측정용이나 검사용 기기(노출계를 포함한다), 마이크로톰(microtome) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $53.9 million of instruments for physical or chemical analysis (HS 9027), down 3.6% from September 2026 and down 2.3% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of instruments for physical or chemical analysis (HS 9027) totalled $744.5 million, up 8.6% from the 12 months before ($685.6 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($86.4 million, 11.6% of the total), followed by China and Vietnam.
That was 4.2% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 90 (optical, measuring and medical instruments) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $199.9 million (up 20.6% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $146.0 million for the month.
Official description of HS 9027: Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (for example, polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus); instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light (including exposure meters); microtomes.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 9027
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9027.10 | Gas or smoke analysis apparatus | $160.3M | 21.5% | -10.1% | $13.3M |
| 9027.20 | Chromatographs and electrophoresis instruments | $22.0M | 3.0% | +85.6% | $219K |
| 9027.30 | Spectrometers spectrophotometers and spectrographs using optical radiations (UV, visible, IR) | $37.5M | 5.0% | -3.5% | $2.9M |
| 9027.30.3000 | Spectrograph | $1.8M | 4.8% | -14.9% | $14K |
| 9027.30.4000 | Spectrometers and Spectrophotometers | $35.7M | 95.2% | -2.9% | $2.9M |
| 9027.50 | Other instruments and apparatus using optical radiations (UV, visible, IR) | $87.2M | 11.7% | +15.1% | $6.0M |
| 9027.50.1000 | Polarimeters | $315K | 0.4% | +123.9% | $2,352 |
| 9027.50.2000 | Refractometers | $62K | 0.1% | -83.2% | $6,120 |
| 9027.50.3000 | Colorimeters | $18.0M | 20.6% | +261.8% | $657K |
| 9027.50.4000 | Luxmeters | $1.4M | 1.7% | -4.6% | $95K |
| 9027.50.9000 | Other | $67.3M | 77.3% | -2.0% | $5.3M |
| 9027.81 | Mass spectrometers | $13.3M | 1.8% | -15.4% | $1.1M |
| 9027.89 | Other | $329.5M | 44.3% | +20.9% | $21.7M |
| 9027.89.1000 | For physical or chemical analysis | $244.0M | 74.0% | +10.1% | $16.9M |
| 9027.89.2010 | pH meters | $991K | 0.3% | -16.0% | $126K |
| 9027.89.2020 | Calori meters | $4.6M | 1.4% | +74.4% | $604K |
| 9027.89.2030 | Visco meters | $1.1M | 0.3% | +65.1% | $402K |
| 9027.89.2090 | Other | $78.9M | 23.9% | +70.1% | $3.7M |
| 9027.90 | Microtomes; parts and accessories | $94.6M | 12.7% | +2.2% | $8.6M |
| 9027.90.1000 | Microtomes | $683K | 0.7% | +38.9% | $95K |
| 9027.90.9010 | For the purpose of semiconductor manufacturing | $646K | 0.7% | +72.1% | $92K |
| 9027.90.9091 | For gas or smoke analysis apparatus and microtomes | $38.2M | 40.4% | -0.2% | $3.7M |
| 9027.90.9099 | Other | $55.1M | 58.2% | +3.1% | $4.7M |
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. 197 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 | $86.4M | 11.6% | -9.4% | 1 | $6.5M |
| 2 | China | $86.2M | 11.6% | -6.2% | 2 | $7.8M |
| 3 | Vietnam | $81.9M | 11.0% | +89.5% | 4 | $4.6M |
| 4 | India | $65.3M | 8.8% | -24.1% | 3 | $4.5M |
| 5 | Japan | $51.1M | 6.9% | +71.9% | 5 | $5.3M |
| 6 | Taiwan | $25.9M | 3.5% | +8.0% | 6 | $1.4M |
| 7 | United Kingdom | $25.0M | 3.4% | +13.6% | 8 | $1.7M |
| 8 | Thailand | $24.0M | 3.2% | +7.4% | 7 | $1.4M |
| 9 | Singapore | $22.1M | 3.0% | +5.8% | 9 | $2.0M |
| 10 | Netherlands | $19.0M | 2.6% | +17.2% | 12 | $1.6M |
| 11 | Germany | $17.4M | 2.3% | +32.0% | 13 | $1.2M |
| 12 | Romania | $16.2M | 2.2% | +800.0% | 40 | $179K |
| 13 | Indonesia | $16.0M | 2.2% | -20.7% | 11 | $1.3M |
| 14 | Pakistan | $14.2M | 1.9% | +21.7% | 15 | $551K |
| 15 | Brazil | $13.8M | 1.9% | +21.4% | 16 | $947K |
| 16 | Malaysia | $13.5M | 1.8% | -33.8% | 10 | $429K |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia | $12.3M | 1.7% | +67.2% | 19 | $1.4M |
| 18 | Mexico | $9.1M | 1.2% | +21.7% | 18 | $514K |
| 19 | Sweden | $9.0M | 1.2% | +492.5% | 44 | $120K |
| 20 | Hong Kong | $8.1M | 1.1% | -20.8% | 17 | $631K |
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 | $53.9M | -2.3% | 363 t | $148.33 | $199.9M | 681 t |
| September 2026 | $55.9M | -12.7% | 397 t | $140.79 | $218.5M | 645 t |
| August 2026 | $57.1M | -3.8% | 478 t | $119.56 | $175.4M | 530 t |
| July 2026 | $76.5M | +6.9% | 476 t | $160.80 | $167.7M | 559 t |
| June 2026 | $71.7M | +16.9% | 502 t | $142.82 | $225.2M | 821 t |
| May 2026 | $60.2M | +6.0% | 427 t | $140.87 | $177.8M | 644 t |
| April 2026 | $69.2M | +42.2% | 457 t | $151.43 | $195.6M | 782 t |
| March 2026 | $65.3M | +27.4% | 429 t | $152.19 | $230.3M | 813 t |
| February 2026 | $51.1M | -7.1% | 362 t | $141.27 | $157.5M | 673 t |
| January 2026 | $69.9M | +53.0% | 471 t | $148.39 | $129.3M | 549 t |
| December 2025 | $62.4M | +9.9% | 434 t | $143.86 | $241.6M | 761 t |
| November 2025 | $51.1M | -14.6% | 348 t | $146.91 | $170.4M | 557 t |
| October 2025 | $55.2M | -12.3% | 400 t | $137.79 | $165.7M | 619 t |
| September 2025 | $64.0M | +16.2% | 507 t | $126.22 | $209.1M | 738 t |
| August 2025 | $59.4M | +6.4% | 472 t | $125.80 | $166.3M | 654 t |
| July 2025 | $71.5M | +31.3% | 512 t | $139.75 | $174.2M | 710 t |
| June 2025 | $61.4M | +5.1% | 440 t | $139.56 | $196.0M | 671 t |
| May 2025 | $56.8M | -8.1% | 375 t | $151.41 | $160.2M | 613 t |
| April 2025 | $48.7M | -11.8% | 441 t | $110.46 | $178.2M | 673 t |
| March 2025 | $51.3M | -2.4% | 413 t | $124.15 | $206.8M | 738 t |
| February 2025 | $55.0M | +12.2% | 477 t | $115.39 | $171.6M | 637 t |
| January 2025 | $45.7M | -10.8% | 363 t | $125.98 | $121.9M | 496 t |
| December 2024 | $56.8M | -12.9% | 424 t | $133.92 | $202.9M | 687 t |
| November 2024 | $59.8M | +11.1% | 427 t | $140.12 | $188.6M | 595 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.