Korean SME cosmetics exports reach a third-quarter record of USD 2.79 billion
Ministry of SMEs and Startups figures, reported on 26 October, show cosmetics leading small-business export growth, including online sales.
Published
27 October 2026 — Korea JoongAng Daily reported on 26 October that cosmetics exports by Korean small and medium-sized enterprises reached USD 2.79 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 28.6 percent year on year and the highest third-quarter figure on record. The report cites quarterly export data from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. From January to September, SME cosmetics exports totalled USD 7.65 billion, up 26.4 percent.
Where growth was reported
According to the report, third-quarter SME cosmetics exports rose 33.1 percent to North America, 58.6 percent to Europe and 141.3 percent to Latin America. The number of SMEs exporting cosmetics in the first nine months rose 6.3 percent to 9,469 companies. Cosmetics also made up 75.3 percent of SME online exports during the quarter.
How to read the figure
This is a small-and-medium-business measure. It differs from the total Korean cosmetics export figures published by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, so the two should not be added together or compared without matching the period and scope. Our guide to export statistics explains these differences.
For shoppers, the numbers show how many smaller Korean brands now sell abroad. They do not show which products are available in a particular country. THE CAST's own catalogue and checkout shipping checks remain the reference for an individual order.