Korean Export to China Make a Record High and its Skincare Products Ranked First

Korea's exports to China in 2021 were $213.6 billion which made a record increase of more than 20% year-on-year. Among them, skin care products ranked first in terms of export at $3.74 billion, up 19.4% year-on-year.

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The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency analyzed Korea's export data to China in 2021 and found that although the export scale is at a record high, the growth rate is slowing down. The market share of Korean major products in China is not dominant and the competitiveness of products needs to be improved.

According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Beijing Trade Pavilion, South Korea's exports to China hit a record high of $213.6 billion last year, an increase of more than 20% year-on-year. It was also the third time in three years that Korea's exports to China exceeded $200 billion.

China's imports of Korean-made consumer goods are more active. Among the Korean-made consumer goods exported to China last year, 61 items were exported in excess of $10 million, of which 18 exceeded $50 million and 6 exceeded $100 million. Skincare products ranked first in terms of export at $3.74 billion, up 19.4% year-on-year. Exports of facial cleansers and hand sanitizers ranked second at $360 million, a year-on-year jump of 185.2%.

However, the growth rate of Korean-made consumer goods exports to China slowed down and the market share was not dominant. The market share of skin care products in China's import market ranked third after Japan and France with a difference of 5.5 percentage points from Japan. The export growth rate of hand sanitizer and detergent was not as fast as the average in the market. There was a 17-percentage point difference with Japan, which ranked first.

According to the agency, although Korean products are recognized by Chinese consumers for their excellent quality and simple and competent design, their market positioning is vague and their brand influence is insufficient. It is necessary to make full use of digital platforms and content to create export momentum while ensuring product novelty and diversification.