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Korea surpasses U.S. in cosmetics exports with record $11.4 billion

Published: 23 May. 2026, 07:00

People are shopping for beauty items at a cosmetics store in Seoul on Jan. 11. [YONHAP]

Korean cosmetics exports surpassed those of the United States last year, vaulting the country to second place globally and pushing its trade surplus in the sector past $10 billion for the first time.

Korea exported $11.4 billion worth of cosmetics in 2025, up 11.8 percent from the previous year and a record high, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. France led global cosmetics exports at $24.3 billion. The United States ranked third at $10.8 billion, swapping places with Korea from the previous year.

The trade surplus also hit a milestone. With imports at $1.29 billion against exports of $11.4 billion, the cosmetics sector posted a surplus of $10.1 billion, crossing the $10 billion threshold for the first time since the country first recorded a surplus of $90 million in 2012. Cosmetics accounted for 12.9 percent of Korea's total trade surplus of $78 billion last year.

The geography of exports has also shifted. The United States became Korea's top cosmetics export destination last year, with sales rising 15 percent to $2.2 billion. China fell to second at $2 billion, down 19 percent. Japan held third place at $1.1 billion, followed by Hong Kong, Vietnam, Russia and Taiwan.

The number of export markets expanded from 172 countries in 2024 to 202 last year. Among the top 10 destinations, Poland saw exports surge 111.7 percent and the United Arab Emirates 67.2 percent, reflecting rapidly growing demand for K-beauty products in Europe and the Middle East.

Skincare and color cosmetics led the rally by product category, the former accounting for $8.5 billion, or 74.7 percent of total exports, and the latter making up $1.5 billion, or 13.2 percent. The two categories collectively represented 87.9 percent of all cosmetics exports.

Domestic production also hit a record, rising 2.3 percent to 17.9 trillion won ($11.8 billion). By company, LG H&H led with 3.9 trillion won in production, followed by Amorepacific at 3 trillion won and Aekyung Industrial at 296.6 billion won. Among original design manufacturers, Cosmax topped the list at 1.6 trillion won, ahead of Kolmar Korea at 1.3 trillion won and Cosmecca Korea at 353.1 billion won.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY RHEE ESTHER. [[email protected]]