Korea Trade Data

Optical, measuring and medical instruments: South Korea exports to Japan

HS chapter 90 · 광학기기ㆍ사진용 기기ㆍ영화용 기기ㆍ측정기기ㆍ검사기기ㆍ정밀기기ㆍ의료용 기기, 이들의 부분품과 부속품 · latest month: October 2026

Exports, October 2026
$88.4M
+10.3% vs previous month
vs same month a year earlier
+29.1%
export value
Exports, last 12 months
$965.6M
+7.5% vs 12 months before
Export weight, October 2026
517 t
net weight
Export value per kg
$170.94
October 2026

In October 2026, South Korea exported $88.4 million of optical, measuring and medical instruments (HS 90) to Japan, up 10.3% from September 2026 and up 29.1% from October 2025.

Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of optical, measuring and medical instruments (HS 90) to Japan totalled $965.6 million, up 7.5% from the 12 months before ($898.7 million).

Japan took 5.5% of South Korea's exports of this product over the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 4th of 217 destinations.

This product made up 3.0% of South Korea's goods exports to Japan over the same period.

The average export value in October 2026 was $170.94 per kg of net weight, compared with $142.11 per kg in October 2025.

Imports from Japan in October 2026 were $339.0 million (up 25.0% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $250.6 million for the month.

Last 24 months

Monthly exportsExport value in US dollars (FOB).
$0M$25M$50M$75M$100MOct ’26May ’26Dec ’25Jul ’25Feb ’25November 2024: $69.0 millionDecember 2024: $71.5 millionJanuary 2025: $67.6 millionFebruary 2025: $70.9 millionMarch 2025: $81.9 millionApril 2025: $72.9 millionMay 2025: $68.5 millionJune 2025: $79.5 millionJuly 2025: $77.5 millionAugust 2025: $90.0 millionSeptember 2025: $80.9 millionOctober 2025: $68.5 millionNovember 2025: $63.9 millionDecember 2025: $79.5 millionJanuary 2026: $79.0 millionFebruary 2026: $64.9 millionMarch 2026: $76.5 millionApril 2026: $82.4 millionMay 2026: $82.8 millionJune 2026: $91.9 millionJuly 2026: $97.6 millionAugust 2026: $78.7 millionSeptember 2026: $80.2 millionOctober 2026: $88.4 million
Monthly importsImport value in US dollars (CIF).
$0M$200M$400M$600MOct ’26May ’26Dec ’25Jul ’25Feb ’25$339MNovember 2024: $301.6 millionDecember 2024: $374.7 millionJanuary 2025: $288.3 millionFebruary 2025: $313.7 millionMarch 2025: $414.0 millionApril 2025: $333.2 millionMay 2025: $287.7 millionJune 2025: $306.1 millionJuly 2025: $362.4 millionAugust 2025: $299.0 millionSeptember 2025: $354.8 millionOctober 2025: $271.2 millionNovember 2025: $290.0 millionDecember 2025: $427.1 millionJanuary 2026: $347.0 millionFebruary 2026: $271.4 millionMarch 2026: $412.8 millionApril 2026: $346.2 millionMay 2026: $287.3 millionJune 2026: $410.8 millionJuly 2026: $371.7 millionAugust 2026: $337.4 millionSeptember 2026: $293.1 millionOctober 2026: $339.0 million

Monthly figures

MonthExportsvs year earlierExport weightExport $/kg ImportsImport weight
October 2026$88.4M+29.1%517 t $170.94$339.0M1,456 t
September 2026$80.2M-0.8%657 t $122.05$293.1M1,418 t
August 2026$78.7M-12.6%505 t $155.87$337.4M1,353 t
July 2026$97.6M+25.9%627 t $155.64$371.7M1,390 t
June 2026$91.9M+15.6%586 t $156.79$410.8M1,725 t
May 2026$82.8M+20.7%564 t $146.77$287.3M1,197 t
April 2026$82.4M+13.1%485 t $169.78$346.2M1,545 t
March 2026$76.5M-6.7%513 t $148.88$412.8M1,651 t
February 2026$64.9M-8.6%442 t $146.73$271.4M1,294 t
January 2026$79.0M+16.9%562 t $140.60$347.0M1,271 t
December 2025$79.5M+11.2%590 t $134.85$427.1M1,820 t
November 2025$63.9M-7.4%482 t $132.45$290.0M1,240 t
October 2025$68.5M-10.8%482 t $142.11$271.2M1,347 t
September 2025$80.9M+15.5%671 t $120.53$354.8M1,551 t
August 2025$90.0M+22.8%522 t $172.59$299.0M1,341 t
July 2025$77.5M+0.8%517 t $150.01$362.4M1,660 t
June 2025$79.5M+15.1%586 t $135.74$306.1M1,458 t
May 2025$68.5M+1.7%501 t $136.92$287.7M1,204 t
April 2025$72.9M+8.5%472 t $154.32$333.2M1,427 t
March 2025$81.9M+25.0%576 t $142.22$414.0M1,401 t
February 2025$70.9M+7.7%553 t $128.32$313.7M1,262 t
January 2025$67.6M+10.7%598 t $113.03$288.3M1,006 t
December 2024$71.5M-0.4%503 t $142.29$374.7M1,566 t
November 2024$69.0M+0.7%500 t $137.89$301.6M1,364 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.

Largest headings exported to Japan

CodeProductExports, 12 monthsSharevs 12 months beforeOctober 2026
9018Medical, surgical and dental instruments$224.7M 23.3%+7.7%$22.8M
9001Optical fibres, polarising sheets and lenses$154.9M 16.0%-9.7%$11.5M
9031Measuring or checking instruments and machines$104.9M 10.9%-14.4%$7.7M
9030Instruments for measuring electrical quantities$83.7M 8.7%+26.3%$7.0M
9013Lasers and other optical appliances$76.5M 7.9%+51.4%$9.0M
9022X-ray and radiation apparatus$55.3M 5.7%+15.4%$3.8M
9027Instruments for physical or chemical analysis$51.1M 5.3%+71.9%$5.3M
9021Orthopaedic appliances, artificial body parts and hearing aids$50.1M 5.2%+4.7%$6.6M
9032Automatic regulating or controlling instruments and apparatus$33.8M 3.5%+8.7%$3.5M
9003Frames and mountings for spectacles, goggles or the like, and parts thereof$27.8M 2.9%+13.4%$2.7M
9004Spectacles, goggles and the like, corrective, protective or other$26.4M 2.7%+51.0%$2.4M
9002Mounted lenses, prisms and other optical elements$25.1M 2.6%+8.9%$1.2M
9025Thermometers, hydrometers, barometers and hygrometers$7.4M 0.8%+36.4%$535K
9026Instruments for measuring flow, level or pressure$6.0M 0.6%-8.5%$428K
9012Microscopes other than optical microscopes, etc.$5.6M 0.6%-36.4%$551K
9019Mechano-therapy appliances, etc.$5.4M 0.6%+6.1%$454K
9029Revolution counters, production counters, taximeters, mileometers, etc.$4.6M 0.5%-13.6%$352K
9015Surveying, hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological, etc.$3.7M 0.4%-23.0%$257K
9020Other breathing appliances and gas masks, etc.$3.3M 0.3%-0.9%$291K
9011Compound optical microscopes, including those for photomicrography, etc.$2.7M 0.3%+142.2%$584K

See also: Optical, measuring and medical instruments to all countries · all exports to Japan