The US bought $1.75 billion of Korean skincare and make-up in 2025, passing China as the biggest market. Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam complete the top five, and Poland more than doubled its purchases to reach #9.
Illustration: the 20 countries that bought the most Korean skincare and make-up in 2025, led by the US at $1.75 billion.
Rank
Country
2025 exports (US$)
Change vs 2024
Share of all K-beauty exports
Region
1
United States
$1.75B
+13.0%
18.6%
North America
2
China
$1.65B
−23.4%
17.5%
Asia
3
Japan
$880.1M
+4.7%
9.3%
Asia
4
Hong Kong
$595.3M
+16.5%
6.3%
Asia
5
Vietnam
$408.0M
−12.5%
4.3%
Asia
6
Russia
$361.2M
+12.1%
3.8%
Europe
7
Taiwan
$265.8M
+21.5%
2.8%
Asia
8
United Arab Emirates
$261.7M
+65.3%
2.8%
Middle East
9
Poland
$245.8M
+118.6%
2.6%
Europe
10
Thailand
$207.6M
+11.4%
2.2%
Asia
11
United Kingdom
$187.3M
+40.9%
2.0%
Europe
12
Canada
$151.6M
+46.6%
1.6%
North America
13
Indonesia
$146.3M
+23.0%
1.6%
Asia
14
Australia
$140.2M
+46.1%
1.5%
Oceania
15
Malaysia
$118.1M
+5.3%
1.3%
Asia
16
France
$115.2M
+70.4%
1.2%
Europe
17
Singapore
$108.5M
−7.4%
1.2%
Asia
18
Kazakhstan
$107.5M
+28.6%
1.1%
Asia
19
Netherlands
$103.8M
+39.0%
1.1%
Europe
20
Philippines
$95.7M
+24.8%
1.0%
Asia
No matching rows.
How this list works. Countries are ranked by the US-dollar value of the goods South Korea exported to them in 2025 under customs heading HS 3304. That heading covers skincare, make-up, sunscreen and nail products, but not soaps, shampoos or perfume. The figures come from KITA’s K-stat database, which compiles Korea Customs Service export records.[2][4] Exports under HS 3304 to all countries came to $9.42 billion in 2025, up 10.0% on 2024, and the 20 markets here took $7.90 billion of it, about 84%.[2][4] “Change vs 2024” is KITA’s own figure. “Share of all K-beauty exports” is our calculation: each country’s figure divided by the $9.42 billion total. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) publishes a wider count that also includes products such as body washes and fragrance. It came to $11.43 billion for 2025, so its country figures are higher than the ones here, but its top four markets are the same, in the same order.[5]Where the data comes from: the table is based on DabPop’s ranking of Korea’s biggest export markets for beauty and skincare (data as of October 12, 2026), which takes every figure from KITA’s K-stat tables.[1] See DabPop for each market’s January–August 2026 figures in full.
The Top 10
#1
United States — $1.75 billion
Korea shipped $1.75 billion of skincare and make-up to the US in 2025, 13.0% more than the $1.55 billion of 2024, and the US replaced China as the top market.[2] The MFDS’s wider count agrees: $2.19 billion, the first year ever that the US came first.[5] In US shops, Korean beauty brands sold about $2.4 billion in 2025, according to NielsenIQ. That is still a small part of a roughly $110 billion American beauty market.[8] Olive Young, South Korea’s best-known health and beauty store chain, opened its first US shop, in Pasadena, California, on May 29, 2026.[9] Exports to the US kept growing in 2026: $1.56 billion from January to August, up 38.7% on the same months of 2025.[3]
#2
China — $1.65 billion
China was Korea’s biggest beauty market in 2024, at $2.16 billion. In 2025 it fell 23.4% to $1.65 billion, the largest drop of any country in the Top 20.[2] The MFDS count shows the same slide, down 19.2% to $2.01 billion.[5] Together, the US and China took 36.7% of Korea’s cosmetics exports in 2025, down from 43.1% a year earlier, as more sales went to Europe, the Middle East and other regions.[7] The decline has nearly stopped in 2026: January–August exports were $1.11 billion, 1.3% below the same period of 2025.[3]
#3
Japan — $880.1 million
Japan is a steady third. It bought $880.1 million of Korean skincare and make-up in 2025, up 4.7%.[2] The MFDS count puts Japan at $1.09 billion, up 5%.[5] Growth picked up a little in 2026, with January–August exports of $629.4 million, 8.1% more than a year before.[3]
#4
Hong Kong — $595.3 million
Hong Kong is Korea’s fourth-biggest beauty market, ahead of every country in Southeast Asia and Europe. Exports there rose 16.5% to $595.3 million in 2025.[2] The MFDS count gives $705 million, up 21.6%.[5] Hong Kong was still fourth after the first eight months of 2026, at $420.5 million, up 9.2%.[3]
#5
Vietnam — $408.0 million
Vietnam is the biggest Southeast Asian buyer, but its purchases fell 12.5% to $408.0 million in 2025. Only three Top 20 markets shrank that year: Vietnam, China and Singapore.[2] Sales have recovered in 2026, rising 10.5% to $285.3 million for January–August. Even so, the UK and Russia have moved ahead of it so far this year, leaving Vietnam seventh.[3]
#6
Russia — $361.2 million
Russia is the biggest European buyer of Korean skincare and make-up. Exports there grew 12.1% to $361.2 million in 2025.[2] They rose faster in 2026, up 20.3% to $287.7 million for January–August, which puts Russia sixth so far this year.[3]
#7
Taiwan — $265.8 million
Exports to Taiwan grew 21.5% to $265.8 million in 2025.[2] Growth slowed to 7.8% in 2026, with $179.0 million shipped from January to August. Faster-growing markets in Europe and North America have overtaken it, and Taiwan is 11th so far this year.[3]
#8
United Arab Emirates — $261.7 million
The UAE is the only Middle Eastern country in the Top 20. Its purchases jumped 65.3% in 2025, from $158.3 million to $261.7 million, the second-fastest growth in the Top 10.[2] The MFDS count also ranks it eighth, with growth of 70.6%.[6] The boom has cooled in 2026: January–August exports of $152.8 million were up 4.5%.[3]
#9
Poland — $245.8 million
Poland grew faster than any other market in the Top 20. Its purchases rose 118.6% in 2025 to $245.8 million, more than double the year before.[2] The MFDS count has similar figures: up 115%, also ninth.[6] Poland has kept climbing in 2026. Its January–August total of $258.5 million, up 58.3%, is already more than it bought in all of 2025.[2][3]
#10
Thailand — $207.6 million
Thailand completes the Top 10 with $207.6 million in 2025, up 11.4%.[2] It has grown more slowly in 2026, up 3.2% to $138.0 million for January–August, and is 13th so far this year.[3] Just behind it in 2025 were the UK (#11) and Canada (#12). Both are growing so fast in 2026 that they have already passed Thailand: the UK’s January–August total of $313.0 million is up 171%, and Canada’s $220.4 million is up 152%.[3]
The Korea Herald (Yonhap), “Exports of K-beauty products hit all-time high in 2025: data” (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety figures), January 9, 2026 — https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10652611.