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Preliminary figures from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety put cosmetics exports at a record US$7 billion in the first half of 2026, up 27.3% from a year earlier. The United States was the largest market, while shipments to China fell; skin care made up 78% of exports.
South Korea’s cosmetics exports reached a record US$7 billion in the first half of 2026, rising 27.3% year on year, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The United States was the largest destination by value, as shipments there climbed while exports to China declined.
Exports totaled US$3.9 billion in the second quarter, compared with US$3.1 billion in the first quarter, the ministry’s preliminary figures showed. The report did not provide a breakdown of the second-quarter total by destination or product category.
Shipments to the United States rose 41.5% to US$1.45 billion, equal to 20.7% of all cosmetics exports during the period. Exports to China fell 6.6% to US$1.01 billion. Japan ranked third, receiving US$580 million in South Korean cosmetics.
Skin care accounted for US$5.48 billion, or 78% of the export total. The source report said Korean brands were expanding their presence at US retailers including Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Amazon; it did not quantify sales through those channels.
US Demand Leads Export Growth
The figures show that the United States was the largest export market for South Korean cosmetics in the first half, with shipments there growing faster than the overall export total. That gives manufacturers and retailers a sizable source of overseas demand at a time when exports to China, another major market, were lower than a year earlier.
The concentration in skin care, at 78% of exports, also points to the product category behind most of the reported trade value. The data measure exports, however, and do not establish how much consumers bought at retail, which brands gained market share or whether the same pace of growth will continue.
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A Changing Mix of Markets
The first-half result came as South Korean brands increased their presence across international retail channels. The Global Cosmetics News report cited Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Amazon as examples of major US outlets carrying Korean brands, but supplied no store-level or platform sales figures.
The reported market totals place the United States ahead of China: US-bound shipments were US$1.45 billion, compared with US$1.01 billion to China. The source characterized this as a shift in the market’s growth engine. The available figures support a comparison for this six-month period, but do not by themselves establish a long-term change in market reliance.
“Preliminary data showed first-half cosmetics exports of US$7 billion, up 27.3 percent year on year.”
— South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, as reported by Global Cosmetics News
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Preliminary Figures Leave Questions
The ministry data are described as preliminary; the source material does not say when final figures will be released or whether they may be revised. It also does not specify the precise comparison period beyond year-on-year growth for the first half.
The report gives export values but does not explain how much growth came from higher shipment volumes, prices, product mix or currency effects. It provides no brand-level results, retailer sales data or outlook for the second half. The figures therefore do not show whether the expansion will continue or how export growth is distributed across individual companies.
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Final Data Will Clarify the Trend
The next point to watch is the release of final first-half trade figures and subsequent data for the second half of 2026. Those releases can show whether the preliminary record holds and whether growth in US-bound shipments continues alongside the decline reported for China.
Further market and product breakdowns would help clarify which categories and destinations are contributing to changes in export value. The source material does not identify a publication date for revised figures or provide a forecast for the remainder of the year.
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Key Questions
How much did South Korea export in cosmetics in the first half of 2026?
Preliminary figures put exports at a record US$7 billion, up 27.3% year on year.
Which country was the largest market?
The United States was the largest reported destination, with shipments of US$1.45 billion, or 20.7% of the total.
How did exports to China change?
Exports to China fell 6.6% to US$1.01 billion in the first half, according to the preliminary data cited in the report.
Which product category led exports?
Skin care led, with exports of US$5.48 billion, representing 78% of the total.
Are the figures final?
No. The ministry figures in the source report are identified as preliminary; a final release date was not given.
Source: rss
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