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K-beauty market 2026: the export data and what it means for new brands

Korea exported a record $11.4 billion of cosmetics in 2025, and the first half of 2026 grew 27.3%. Here are the official numbers, where the growth is, and what they mean for a new brand.

By the KoreanOEM team · · 6 min read

Boxes and bottles for a toner, serum, cream, cleanser and mask on a stone block

The K-beauty market is still growing, by Korea's official numbers. Cosmetics exports reached a record $11.4 billion in 2025 and $7.0 billion in the first half of 2026, up 27.3% (preliminary). The US became the largest buyer in 2025, and skincare made up 74.7% of exports. For a new brand that is evidence of demand, not a promise of sales.

Every figure below comes from national statistics published by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), compiled from customs data. They cover all cosmetics exported from Korea by every company, so read them as a picture of the category, not of any one brand.

The K-beauty market in 2026, in five numbers

MeasureFigurePeriod
Cosmetics exports$11.4 billion, the highest on record2025
World rankingNo. 2 exporter, after France2025
Destinations202 countries, up from 1722025
Skincare share74.7%, or $8,532 million2025
Exports so far this year$7.0 billion, up 27.3%January to June 2026, preliminary

Growth is broad as well as fast. Korean cosmetics reached 30 more countries in 2025 than in 2024, and the second quarter of 2026, at $3.9 billion, was 25.8% above the first quarter's $3.1 billion.

Ten years of K-beauty exports

Exports are now about 2.7 times what they were in 2016. The one dip came in 2022, when they fell from $9.2 billion to $8.0 billion, and new highs followed in 2024 and 2025.

Korea's cosmetics exports by year, 2016 to 2025, in US dollars2016: $4.2 billion, 2017: $4.9 billion, 2018: $6.3 billion, 2019: $6.5 billion, 2020: $7.6 billion, 2021: $9.2 billion, 2022: $8.0 billion, 2023: $8.5 billion, 2024: $10.2 billion, 2025: $11.4 billion2016$4.2B2017$4.9B2018$6.3B2019$6.5B2020$7.6B2021$9.2B2022$8.0B2023$8.5B2024$10.2B2025$11.4B

Korea's cosmetics exports by year, in US dollars. Source: MFDS, May 22, 2026 (2020 to 2025) and July 2, 2026 (2016 to 2019).

The first half of each year tells the same story: $4.05 billion in 2022, $4.07 billion in 2023, $4.80 billion in 2024, $5.50 billion in 2025 and $7.00 billion in 2026, the highest first half on record. More charts, including product types and the top ten markets, are on our export data page.

Where K-beauty is growing fastest

The largest markets and the fastest growing ones are not the same. Among the 20 largest destinations in 2025, these grew fastest:

Market2025 exportsChange on 2024
Poland$282 million+111.7%
France$134 million+73.2%
United Arab Emirates$286 million+67.2%
United Kingdom$230 million+53.8%
Canada$186 million+52.2%
Australia$166 million+48.7%
Netherlands$138 million+42.8%

In the first half of 2026 the Netherlands (+220.4%) and the UK (+150.6%) grew fastest among the ten largest destinations, and Poland moved up to seventh place with $251 million (+72.8%), all preliminary.

China went the other way. Exports there fell 19.0% in 2025 to $2,018 million, and another 6.6% in the first half of 2026. The growth has shifted toward North America, Europe and the Gulf.

The US is now the largest K-beauty market

In 2025 the US passed China for the first time, taking $2,184 million of Korean cosmetics, up 15.0%. In the first half of 2026 it took $1,449 million, up 41.5%, or 20.7% of all exports. Four years earlier, in the first half of 2022, the US share was 10.9%.

US import data points the same way. Citing US International Trade Commission figures, The Korea Herald reported that Korea passed France in 2024 as the largest source of US cosmetics imports, with $1.701 billion against France's $1.263 billion.

Tariffs as of September 2026Skincare from Korea under HTS 3304.99.50 pays a 12.5% US duty under a Section 301 action in effect since July 24, 2026. Put it in your landed cost, and check the rate with your customs broker before each order.

What the numbers mean for a new brand

Skincare is where the demand is

Three quarters of Korea's cosmetics exports are skincare. In the first half of 2026, skincare exports grew 25.0% while makeup fell 4.2%. A first line built around a serum, a cream or a mask sits in the part of the category that is growing.

Choose your first market on purpose

The US is the largest market. Europe, Canada, Australia and the Gulf are growing fastest, from smaller bases. Each has its own paperwork: an FDA MoCRA listing in the US, a CPNP notification with an EU Responsible Person in the EU, and an SCPN notification in the UK. Our export guide covers what each market asks for.

Growth brings competition

A growing category attracts new brands, so "Korean" on its own is not a position. Decide early what makes yours different: the audience you serve, the product, the price or the story. Our view on what Korean labs do well is in why Korean skincare is so good.

Budget for landed cost, not factory price

A factory price is only part of what a unit costs you. For goods shipped from Korea to the US, freight, the 12.5% duty and customs clearance come on top, and card or marketplace fees come off every sale. Work through one product before you order; our article on skincare margins by channel shows the math line by line.

Keep the first run small

You do not need thousands of units to test a market. At KoreanOEM a private label serum starts from $3.70 per unit at 500 units, lab samples take about two weeks, and a library formula reaches you in about 10 weeks. Reorders take 4 to 6 weeks, so you can scale with sell-through instead of guessing. If you are still deciding where to manufacture, see Korean vs Chinese vs US manufacturers.

What the export data does not tell you

  • It is not retail sales. Export values are what goods were worth when they left Korea, not what shoppers paid.
  • It includes everyone. The totals include the largest Korean brands and their contract manufacturers, so they say little about how a small new label will do.
  • The 2026 figures are preliminary. First-half numbers can be revised when the annual statistics come out.
  • Markets can shrink. China was the largest destination until the US passed it in 2025, and exports there fell in 2025 and again in early 2026.
  • Rules and tariffs move. US duty on Korean skincare changed several times in 2025 and 2026.

Used with those limits in mind, the data is a useful guide to where shoppers already buy Korean skincare, and where they have started to.

Frequently asked questions

How big is the K-beauty market?
Measured by exports, Korea shipped a record $11.4 billion of cosmetics in 2025, making it the world's second largest cosmetics exporter after France. In the first half of 2026 exports were $7.0 billion, up 27.3% (preliminary).
Which country buys the most Korean cosmetics?
The US. In 2025 it took $2,184 million, passing China for the first time, and it was still the largest destination in the first half of 2026 with $1,449 million.
Is K-beauty still growing in 2026?
Yes, by the official data. Exports rose 27.3% in the first half of 2026, with skincare up 25.0% and makeup down 4.2%, according to preliminary MFDS figures.
Is it too late to start a K-beauty brand?
The data shows growing demand and more competition at the same time. A small first run keeps the risk low: at KoreanOEM a serum starts at 500 units, so you can test a market before you scale.

Sources

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