Ball point pens, etc.: South Korea exports and imports
HS 9608 · 볼펜, 팁(tip)이 펠트로 된 것과 그 밖의 포러스팁(porous-tip)으로 된 펜과 마커, 만년필ㆍ철필(鐵筆)형 만년필(stylograph pen)과 그 밖의 펜, 복사용 철필(鐵筆), 프로펠링펜슬(propelling pencil)이나 슬라이딩펜슬(sliding pencil), 펜홀더ㆍ펜슬홀더와 이와 유사한 홀더, 이들의 부분품[캡과 클립(clip)을 포함하며 제9609호의 것은 제외한다] · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $5.7 million of ball point pens, etc. (HS 9608), up 43.3% from September 2026 and up 21.6% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of ball point pens, etc. (HS 9608) totalled $56.3 million, down 5.1% from the 12 months before ($59.3 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was the United States ($13.4 million, 23.8% of the total), followed by Japan and Russia.
That was 11.8% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 96 (miscellaneous manufactured articles) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $11.5 million (up 23.5% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $5.8 million for the month.
Official description of HS 9608: Ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 96.09.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 9608
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9608.10 | Ball point pens | $22.5M | 39.9% | -11.4% | $2.3M |
| 9608.20 | Felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers | $22.0M | 39.0% | -0.3% | $2.6M |
| 9608.30 | Fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens | $1.2M | 2.2% | +295.4% | $72K |
| 9608.30.1000 | Fountainpens | $905K | 73.1% | +327.1% | $28K |
| 9608.30.9000 | Other | $333K | 26.9% | +229.2% | $44K |
| 9608.40 | Propelling or sliding pencils | $894K | 1.6% | -28.7% | $51K |
| 9608.50 | Sets of articles from two or more of the foregoing subheadings | $51K | 0.1% | +12.1% | $30K |
| 9608.60 | Refills for ball point pens, comprising the ball point and ink-reservoir | $3.5M | 6.2% | +8.0% | $306K |
| 9608.91 | Pen nibs and nib points | $615K | 1.1% | -41.1% | $7,882 |
| 9608.91.1000 | Pen nibs | $585K | 95.0% | -22.5% | $4,986 |
| 9608.91.2000 | Nib points | $31K | 5.0% | -89.4% | $2,896 |
| 9608.99 | Other | $5.5M | 9.8% | -7.0% | $364K |
| 9608.99.1000 | Parts | $4.9M | 87.9% | -10.7% | $328K |
| 9608.99.9000 | Other | $670K | 12.1% | +33.0% | $36K |
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. 153 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 | $13.4M | 23.8% | -7.1% | 1 | $1.9M |
| 2 | Japan | $10.1M | 18.0% | -13.8% | 2 | $810K |
| 3 | Russia | $5.9M | 10.5% | -3.3% | 3 | $891K |
| 4 | Philippines | $3.4M | 6.1% | -26.3% | 4 | $285K |
| 5 | China | $2.7M | 4.7% | -7.3% | 5 | $115K |
| 6 | Germany | $2.5M | 4.4% | +2.0% | 6 | $156K |
| 7 | Vietnam | $2.3M | 4.0% | +1.1% | 8 | $192K |
| 8 | Thailand | $2.2M | 3.9% | -3.7% | 7 | $221K |
| 9 | Colombia | $1.8M | 3.3% | +203.3% | 15 | $127K |
| 10 | Taiwan | $1.1M | 2.0% | +15.3% | 11 | $30K |
| 11 | Türkiye | $1.1M | 1.9% | -12.5% | 9 | $135K |
| 12 | United Kingdom | $928K | 1.6% | -14.8% | 10 | $10K |
| 13 | Egypt | $901K | 1.6% | +34.0% | 13 | $0 |
| 14 | Malaysia | $652K | 1.2% | +6.2% | 14 | $116K |
| 15 | Denmark | $536K | 1.0% | +93.7% | 25 | $41K |
| 16 | Spain | $516K | 0.9% | +3.7% | 17 | $63K |
| 17 | Israel | $485K | 0.9% | +19.9% | 18 | $17K |
| 18 | Indonesia | $475K | 0.8% | -18.4% | 16 | $134K |
| 19 | Hong Kong | $473K | 0.8% | +33.2% | 21 | $5,193 |
| 20 | France | $441K | 0.8% | +19.9% | 19 | $96K |
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 | $5.7M | +21.6% | 295 t | $19.38 | $11.5M | 451 t |
| September 2026 | $4.0M | -28.3% | 227 t | $17.52 | $10.0M | 394 t |
| August 2026 | $4.2M | +4.5% | 240 t | $17.73 | $10.7M | 397 t |
| July 2026 | $5.3M | -0.4% | 315 t | $16.92 | $11.1M | 445 t |
| June 2026 | $5.1M | +10.7% | 274 t | $18.62 | $11.8M | 432 t |
| May 2026 | $4.0M | -36.2% | 223 t | $18.01 | $10.6M | 452 t |
| April 2026 | $5.3M | +5.1% | 317 t | $16.76 | $13.1M | 525 t |
| March 2026 | $5.0M | -3.1% | 302 t | $16.43 | $12.5M | 474 t |
| February 2026 | $3.4M | -26.4% | 175 t | $19.70 | $9.1M | 383 t |
| January 2026 | $5.0M | +9.7% | 270 t | $18.32 | $11.8M | 499 t |
| December 2025 | $4.6M | -6.6% | 272 t | $16.83 | $12.4M | 500 t |
| November 2025 | $4.7M | +4.7% | 309 t | $15.16 | $9.8M | 438 t |
| October 2025 | $4.7M | -4.4% | 288 t | $16.28 | $9.3M | 389 t |
| September 2025 | $5.6M | +24.4% | 331 t | $16.80 | $9.7M | 395 t |
| August 2025 | $4.1M | -15.8% | 246 t | $16.55 | $8.6M | 285 t |
| July 2025 | $5.4M | +15.8% | 324 t | $16.54 | $10.2M | 400 t |
| June 2025 | $4.6M | -15.5% | 274 t | $16.80 | $9.5M | 327 t |
| May 2025 | $6.3M | +9.1% | 355 t | $17.71 | $9.6M | 417 t |
| April 2025 | $5.1M | -11.0% | 309 t | $16.39 | $10.4M | 416 t |
| March 2025 | $5.1M | +13.9% | 317 t | $16.13 | $10.2M | 403 t |
| February 2025 | $4.7M | -16.5% | 288 t | $16.22 | $10.2M | 364 t |
| January 2025 | $4.5M | -4.0% | 257 t | $17.55 | $11.8M | 543 t |
| December 2024 | $4.9M | -4.7% | 308 t | $15.93 | $9.8M | 500 t |
| November 2024 | $4.5M | -16.4% | 256 t | $17.48 | $10.1M | 382 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.