K-beauty, K-food exports to US jolted as 15% tariffs go into effect

Bucking the trend, exports of ramen, or instant noodles, rose as companies rushed to ship ahead of the tariffs' implementation

South Korea's cosmetics exports to the US fall following the implementation of 15% US tariffs

Yun-Sang Ko 1

2025-08-12 14:47:00 kys@hankyung.com

Beauty & Cosmetics

South Korea’s cosmetics and food exporters have been jolted by a significant drop in shipments to the US after Washington’s 15% tariffs on the products took effect this month, data showed on Tuesday.

According to trade data provided by KED Aicel, the alternative data service brand of Hankyung Aicel, Korean beauty product exports to the US in the first 10 days of August totaled $36.9 million, down 37.2% from the same period in the previous month.

Sales of basic skincare products – the largest category – nearly halved to $12.46 million from $24.22 million. Color cosmetics also plunged 49% from the year-earlier period.

The tariffs, applied from Aug. 7, have immediately affected products that left Korean ports in the first 10 days of the month.

SELLING DOWN INVENTORY

Korean beauty companies had anticipated the tariff risk since early this year, boosting shipments to US subsidiaries in the first half to build a buffer.

“Now that tariffs have taken effect, we are cutting exports and focusing instead on selling down inventory,” said an industry executive. “We will consider adjusting volumes after price increases and monitoring sales.”

K-food shipments showed a similar pattern.

Processed food exports to the US in the Aug. 1-10 period fell 21.9% to $18.63 million from $23.84 million a month earlier.

Customers check out TIRTIR's foundation line (Courtesy of News1)

RAMEN EXPORTS RISE

Instant noodles were an exception, with ramen exports rising 20% in the period, after a record $29.47 million in exports in June as companies rushed to ship ahead of the tariffs' implementation.

The eventual impact on sales will likely depend on the US consumer response to higher prices, industry officials said.

“We will watch closely (along) with local distributors to see how the market reacts to price increases,” said a food sector executive.

Overall, Korea’s total exports to the US in the first 10 days of August were down more than 14% from a year earlier, underscoring the broader trade hit from the new tariffs.

Write to Yun-Sang Ko at kys@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.