South Korea Has Become the World's Second-Largest Cosmetics Exporter

South Korea's beauty industry is sweeping the world. With its cosmetics exports surpassing Germany to become the third largest in the world last year, this year, it will surpass the United States for the first time and become a beauty powerhouse second only to France.

According to data from the Korea Trade Association (KITA), from January to April 2025, South Korea's cosmetics exports reached 3.6 billion dollars, surpassing the U.S. (3.57 billion dollars) and achieving a historic rebound. In January, South Korea's cosmetics exports reached 96% of the level of the U.S. Since then the gap has gradually narrowed, and finally surpassed in April.

The growth of South Korean cosmetics exports has significantly accelerated, ranking fourth in the world in terms of export value after France, the U.S., and Germany in 2023, and surpassing Germany to rise to third place last year. Last year, the export value of cosmetics from France and the U.S. increased by 6.3% and 1.1% respectively year-on-year, while the export value of cosmetics from Germany decreased by 6.9% YoY. Only South Korea saw a significant increase of 20.3% YoY.

In addition, according to the South Korean Food and Drug Safety Agency on July 3, statistics show that the export value of cosmetics in South Korea reached a historic high in the first six months of this year, an increase of 14.8% compared to the same period last year.

China is the largest export target, with an export value of 1.08 billion dollars, followed by the U.S. and Japan. However, the export value to China decreased by 10.8% compared to the same period last year, and its proportion fell below 10% for the first time in the first half of the year.

At the same time, Poland became the first European country to enter the top ten export destinations, and South Korean cosmetics exports to Poland have surged since last year. The number of export target countries and regions has increased from 172 last year to 176 this year, with an increase in exports to Europe, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, Central and South America, and other regions.

In the European region, exports to Poland amounted to 150 million dollars, exports to the UK amounted to 100 million dollars, and exports to France amounted to 70 million dollars. According to product categories, the export value of basic cosmetics was the highest, reaching 4.14 billion dollars, a year-on-year increase of 14.9%. Next are cosmetics, bath and cleansing products, and hair care products.