K-beauty exports hit $7B in H1 2026, with the US now above 20%
Korea's cosmetics exports reached a provisional $7 billionin the first half of 2026, up27.3% year on year and the best January–June on record.
By market
- US: $1.45B (+41.5%, 20.7% share)
- China: $1.01B (−6.6%, 14.4% share)
- Japan: $580M (+5.9%)
Europe is small but fast: the UK was reported at +150.6%, Poland +72.8% and the Netherlands +220.4%.
By category, basic skincare did almost all the lifting at $5.48B (+25.0%), while color cosmetics (−4.2%) and body cleansing (−20.6%) shrank.
In short: the tilt toward "US + skincare" got stronger. The government says it will expand export support such as regulatory guidance and halal certification consulting.
For those working in export: are you leaning further into the US in H2, or spreading risk into Europe and the Middle East?
Source: Seoul Economic Daily — K-Beauty Exports Hit Record $7 Billion in First Half
No comments yet. Be the first.