Largest market shown
Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude
$76.4B of latest reported imports and $34.4B of calculated three-year opportunity.
Importer opportunity guide
Republic of Korea import opportunities
where to source next
Explore Republic of Korea's import market by product, supplier concentration, demand growth, and sourcing gaps. Use reported market size and calculated indicators to decide where deeper supplier research may be useful.
Latest imports$602.8B2024 reported value
Import CAGR+0.6%Three-year reported change
GDP$1.9TLatest reported value
GDP per capita$36.2KLatest reported value
Trade openness81.8%Reported share of GDP
Republic of Korea import opportunities
What makes this an attractive import market?
Compare market size and growth with supplier concentration. A large market may still need product, quality, tariff, logistics, and buyer validation.
Current import base
$602.8B in imports
Republic of Korea recorded $602.8B in imports in 2024, with a three-year change of +0.6%.
How to use the guide
Compare demand with supply
Start with the highest-value products, then review supplier concentration and market conditions before choosing a sourcing route.
Import market overview
Find products where demand and sourcing options meet
This page separates reported import observations from calculated indicators so market size is not mistaken for a guaranteed sourcing opportunity.
Republic of Korea imports products from suppliers across major trade regions. The current profile reports $602.8B of imports in 2024, while the opportunity view highlights product and supplier combinations where market demand and supply context may justify further research.
Use the opportunity table to compare product market size, demand growth, supplier counts, concentration, and projected imports. High concentration can indicate reliance on a small supplier base; it can also reflect specialized products that require careful validation.
Top import opportunities
Products and supplier context to review
The top 50 screened products are ranked by calculated three-year opportunity. Reported market values and calculated indicators are labeled separately.
| Rank | Product | Market size | Demand growth | Suppliers | Concentration | Top supplier | Projected imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HS 270900Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude | $76.4BLatest imports | +7.2% | 37 | 2001 | SAUDeclining | $94.1B |
| 2 | HS 854232Electronic integrated circuits: memories | $20.9BLatest imports | +13.4% | 53 | 6730 | CHNAccelerating | $30.5B |
| 3 | HS 271111Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas | $27.1BLatest imports | +11.6% | 24 | 1823 | QATDeclining | $37.7B |
| 4 | HS 854239Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542 | $15.9BLatest imports | +7.4% | 93 | 3223 | TWNDeclining | $19.7B |
| 5 | HS 854231Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits | $22.4BLatest imports | +5.7% | 79 | 2183 | TWNDeclining | $26.5B |
| 6 | HS 850760Electric accumulators: lithium-ion, including separators, whether or not rectangular (including square) | $4.6BLatest imports | +20.0% | 56 | 7030 | CHNDeclining | $8.0B |
| 7 | HS 270112Coal: bituminous, whether or not pulverised, but not agglomerated | $12.4BLatest imports | +7.4% | 24 | 2391 | AUSDeclining | $15.4B |
| 8 | HS 271012Product description unavailable | $18.4BLatest imports | +7.2% | 51 | 1283 | AREAccelerating | $22.7B |
| 9 | HS 260111Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated | $6.4BLatest imports | +8.3% | 21 | 5804 | AUSDeclining | $8.1B |
| 10 | HS 848620Machines and apparatus of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic integrated circuits | $12.1BLatest imports | +11.3% | 36 | 2355 | NLDDeclining | $16.6B |
| 11 | HS 851712Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $6.6BLatest imports | +10.3% | 106 | 5145 | CHNDeclining | $8.8B |
| 12 | HS 870323Vehicles: spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity exceeding 1500cc but not exceeding 3000cc | $4.9BLatest imports | +12.6% | 51 | 3678 | DEUDeclining | $7.1B |
| 13 | HS 851770Telephone sets and other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, via a wired or wireless network: parts | $3.4BLatest imports | +9.6% | 93 | 6066 | VNMGrowing | $4.4B |
| 14 | HS 271112Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, propane | $3.4BLatest imports | +6.0% | 17 | 5500 | USADeclining | $4.0B |
| 15 | HS 847330Machines: parts and accessories of automatic data processing, magnetic or optical readers, digital processing units | $5.1BLatest imports | +5.9% | 99 | 3491 | CHNDeclining | $6.1B |
| 16 | HS 270119Coal: (other than anthracite and bituminous), whether or not pulverised but not agglomerated | $2.1BLatest imports | +17.2% | 18 | 6692 | IDNSlowing | $3.4B |
| 17 | HS 282520Lithium oxide and hydroxide | $1.6BLatest imports | +26.5% | 20 | 7441 | CHNDeclining | $3.1B |
| 18 | HS 848690Machines and apparatus of heading 8486: parts and accessories | $4.4BLatest imports | +25.9% | 62 | 1905 | USADeclining | $8.6B |
| 19 | HS 854430Insulated electric conductors: ignition wiring sets and other wiring sets of a kind used in vehicles, aircraft or ships | $2.5BLatest imports | +21.8% | 72 | 4129 | CHNSlowing | $4.5B |
| 20 | HS 847130Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display | $3.1BLatest imports | +6.5% | 86 | 5374 | CHNDeclining | $3.8B |
| 21 | HS 870340Vehicles: with both spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine and electric motor for propulsion, incapable of being charged by plugging to external source of electric power | $2.8BLatest imports | +26.7% | 25 | 2716 | DEUAccelerating | $5.5B |
| 22 | HS 282590Inorganic bases, metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides: n.e.s. in heading no. 2825 | $1.5BLatest imports | +19.2% | 39 | 8768 | CHNDeclining | $2.5B |
| 23 | HS 285390Phosphides, chemically defined or not, not ferrophosphorus: other inorganic compounds n.e.c. (including distilled, conductivity water and water of like purity): liquid air, rare gases removed or not: compressed air: amalgams, not precious metal amalgams | $1.3BLatest imports | +27.9% | 39 | 9012 | CHNDeclining | $2.5B |
| 24 | HS 730890Iron or steel: structures and parts thereof, n.e.s. in heading no. 7308 | $1.9BLatest imports | +12.9% | 55 | 7827 | CHNDeclining | $2.7B |
| 25 | HS 870380Vehicles: with only electric motor for propulsion | $1.8BLatest imports | +30.6% | 30 | 4346 | CHNAccelerating | $3.6B |
| 26 | HS 382499Chemical products, mixtures and preparations: n.e.c. heading 3824 | $2.2BLatest imports | +24.3% | 80 | 2835 | CHNDeclining | $4.2B |
| 27 | HS 851762Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus | $2.6BLatest imports | +19.0% | 95 | 2396 | CHNSlowing | $4.4B |
| 28 | HS 260300Copper ores and concentrates | $4.7BLatest imports | +8.6% | 39 | 1801 | CHLDeclining | $6.1B |
| 29 | HS 284190Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids: n.e.c. in heading no. 2841 | $1.1BLatest imports | +18.8% | 35 | 7564 | CHNDeclining | $1.8B |
| 30 | HS 999999Commodities not specified according to kind | $816.2MLatest imports | +35.5% | 1 | 10000 | AREDeclining | $1.6B |
| 31 | HS 853400Circuits: printed | $2.7BLatest imports | +9.8% | 71 | 2555 | CHNSlowing | $3.6B |
| 32 | HS 020130Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, fresh or chilled | $1.1BLatest imports | +20.7% | 10 | 6005 | USADeclining | $2.0B |
| 33 | HS 680293Granite: articles thereof, (other than simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface) | $830.9MLatest imports | +18.7% | 21 | 9875 | CHNDeclining | $1.4B |
| 34 | HS 271019Product description unavailable | $5.6BLatest imports | +4.7% | 95 | 1071 | JPNDeclining | $6.5B |
| 35 | HS 880230Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 2000kg but not exceeding 15,000kg | $1.1BLatest imports | +8.1% | 4 | 8867 | USADeclining | $1.4B |
| 36 | HS 850440Electrical static converters | $2.2BLatest imports | +9.9% | 99 | 2455 | CHNDeclining | $2.9B |
| 37 | HS 950300Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys: dolls' carriages: dolls: other toys: reduced-size (scale) models and similar recreational models, working or not: puzzles of all kinds | $1.1BLatest imports | +8.6% | 101 | 7954 | CHNDeclining | $1.4B |
| 38 | HS 740311Copper: refined, unwrought, cathodes and sections of cathodes | $2.5BLatest imports | +4.0% | 18 | 2844 | CHLDeclining | $2.8B |
| 39 | HS 300490Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.s. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale | $3.8BLatest imports | +13.4% | 95 | 997 | USADeclining | $5.6B |
| 40 | HS 611030Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles: of man-made fibres, knitted or crocheted | $1.0BLatest imports | +14.1% | 92 | 5574 | CHNDeclining | $1.5B |
| 41 | HS 854140Electrical apparatus: photosensitive, including photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels, light emitting diodes | $2.2BLatest imports | +9.0% | 72 | 2497 | JPNDeclining | $2.9B |
| 42 | HS 852990Reception and transmission apparatus: for use with the apparatus of heading no. 8525 to 8528, excluding aerials and aerial reflectors | $2.0BLatest imports | +4.9% | 88 | 3372 | CHNDeclining | $2.3B |
| 43 | HS 260700Lead ores and concentrates | $1.7BLatest imports | +13.5% | 26 | 2268 | MEXDeclining | $2.5B |
| 44 | HS 732690Iron or steel: articles n.e.s. in heading no. 7326 | $1.5BLatest imports | +9.3% | 111 | 3153 | CHNDeclining | $2.0B |
| 45 | HS 847150Digital processing units: other than those of subheadings 8471.41 or 8471.49, whether or not containing in the same housing one or two of the following types of unit: storage units, input units or output units | $2.5BLatest imports | +5.1% | 72 | 2060 | CHNDeclining | $2.9B |
| 46 | HS 210690Food preparations: n.e.s. in item no. 2106.10 | $1.7BLatest imports | +9.7% | 115 | 2319 | USADeclining | $2.2B |
| 47 | HS 760110Aluminium: unwrought, (not alloyed) | $2.7BLatest imports | +3.4% | 30 | 1994 | AUSDeclining | $3.0B |
| 48 | HS 282540Nickel oxides and hydroxides | $604.3MLatest imports | +16.4% | 17 | 9939 | CHNDeclining | $953.1M |
| 49 | HS 020230Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, frozen | $1.5BLatest imports | +6.1% | 19 | 4443 | AUSDeclining | $1.8B |
| 50 | HS 721049Iron or non-alloy steel: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, (not corrugated), plated or coated with zinc (not electrolytically) | $842.7MLatest imports | +7.2% | 26 | 7936 | CHNDeclining | $1.0B |
Showing the five highest-ranked products on mobile. View the complete import opportunity data.
Product sectors
Which sectors carry the most demand?
HS2 sectors group the screened products into broader families for an easier first comparison.
| Sector | Products | Market size | Opportunity | Average growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical equipmentHS2 85 | 12 | $88.0B | $71.3B | +11.7% |
| Mineral fuelsHS2 27 | 5 | $121.3B | $57.7B | +9.9% |
| MachineryHS2 84 | 5 | $27.2B | $15.0B | +10.9% |
| Inorganic chemicalsHS2 28 | 5 | $6.1B | $10.0B | +21.8% |
| Ores, slag and ashHS2 26 | 3 | $12.9B | $8.9B | +10.1% |
| VehiclesHS2 87 | 3 | $9.6B | $8.5B | +23.3% |
| HS2 sector 00HS2 00 | 2 | $24.1B | $7.6B | +6.0% |
| Articles of iron or steelHS2 73 | 2 | $3.4B | $3.4B | +11.1% |
| Meat and edible meat offalHS2 02 | 2 | $2.6B | $2.4B | +13.4% |
| Chemical productsHS2 38 | 1 | $2.2B | $1.9B | +24.3% |
| HS2 sector 99HS2 99 | 1 | $816.2M | $1.6B | +35.5% |
| Stone and ceramic articlesHS2 68 | 1 | $830.9M | $1.4B | +18.7% |
Supply gaps
Where supplier concentration deserves attention
The concentration index helps identify products where reported imports rely more heavily on a smaller supplier base. It is a screening signal, not a recommendation by itself.
| Product | Market size | Suppliers | Concentration | Top supplier | Share gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS 999999Commodities not specified according to kind | $816.2M | 1 | 10000 | ARE | 100.0% |
| HS 282540Nickel oxides and hydroxides | $604.3M | 17 | 9939 | CHN | 99.7% |
| HS 680293Granite: articles thereof, (other than simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface) | $830.9M | 21 | 9875 | CHN | 99.4% |
| HS 285390Phosphides, chemically defined or not, not ferrophosphorus: other inorganic compounds n.e.c. (including distilled, conductivity water and water of like purity): liquid air, rare gases removed or not: compressed air: amalgams, not precious metal amalgams | $1.3B | 39 | 9012 | CHN | 94.9% |
| HS 880230Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 2000kg but not exceeding 15,000kg | $1.1B | 4 | 8867 | USA | 94.0% |
| HS 282590Inorganic bases, metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides: n.e.s. in heading no. 2825 | $1.5B | 39 | 8768 | CHN | 93.6% |
| HS 950300Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys: dolls' carriages: dolls: other toys: reduced-size (scale) models and similar recreational models, working or not: puzzles of all kinds | $1.1B | 101 | 7954 | CHN | 89.1% |
| HS 721049Iron or non-alloy steel: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, (not corrugated), plated or coated with zinc (not electrolytically) | $842.7M | 26 | 7936 | CHN | 88.4% |
Supplier landscape
Which supplier markets appear most often?
These supplier names come from the leading peer signal in the screened opportunity rows and should be validated at product level.
CHN
China
24 screened products
$74.1BCalculated opportunity across these rowsSAU
Saudi Arabia
1 screened products
$34.4BCalculated opportunity across these rowsTWN
Taiwan
2 screened products
$21.1BCalculated opportunity across these rowsAUS
Australia
4 screened products
$14.5BCalculated opportunity across these rowsQAT
Qatar
1 screened products
$11.2BCalculated opportunity across these rowsUSA
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands
6 screened products
$10.4BCalculated opportunity across these rowsARE
United Arab Emirates
2 screened products
$7.8BCalculated opportunity across these rowsDEU
Germany
2 screened products
$6.4BCalculated opportunity across these rowsFrequently asked questions
Using the Republic of Korea import opportunity index
Definitions and practical guidance for interpreting market size, growth, suppliers, and concentration.
What are the import opportunities?
They are product and supplier combinations in Republic of Korea's screened import market with substantial reported demand and calculated opportunity indicators. They are research priorities, not guaranteed savings or supply contracts.
What does supplier concentration mean?
The concentration index indicates how much reported imports rely on a smaller supplier base. A high value can suggest supply dependence, but it can also reflect specialized products or limited reporting.
How should sourcing teams use this page?
Start with products that fit your specification and volume needs, then validate suppliers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and continuity for Republic of Korea.
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.