South Korea’s cosmetics exports reached $11.1 billion in the first three quarters of this year, up 31.1% from a year earlier and the highest ever recorded for a nine-month period. The figure represented about 97% of the previous year’s full-year total of $11.42 billion. Third-quarter shipments alone rose 7.5% from the second quarter to $4.17 billion. The United States drove the expansion, with exports rising 40.6% year on year to $2.35 billion and accounting for 21.1% of total shipments. The U.S. became the leading destination for Korean cosmetics for the first time last year and retained that position through the third quarter of this year. Exports to China increased only 0.4% to $1.58 billion, reducing its share to 14.2%. On a cumulative third-quarter basis, China’s share declined from 46.7% in 2022 to 33.9% in 2023, 24.3% in 2024, 18.5% in 2025 and 14.2% this year, while the U.S. share rose from 10.8% to 21.1%. Other destinations also expanded, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan. Skincare led product growth, with exports up 45.1% to $8.72 billion, while color cosmetics declined 3.6% to $1.11 billion. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it would continue regulatory cooperation and export support, including country-specific regulatory information and halal certification consulting.