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SME exports hit record high in 2025 on used car, cosmetics demand

Published: 28 Jan. 2026, 13:24

Export-bound cars are lined up at Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi on Jan. 27, 2026. [YONHAP]

Exports of Korea's small and midsized enterprises (SMEs) hit an all-time high last year, driven by strong sales of used cars and cosmetic products, government data showed Wednesday.

SMEs exported $118.6 billion worth of products in 2025, up 6.9 percent from a year earlier, marking the largest annual figure on record, according to the data from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

The number of exporting SMEs also reached a record high of 98,219 last year.

Exports of cars surged 76.3 percent on-year to $9 billion on robust demand for Korean used cars from the Commonwealth of Independent States — the nations of the former Soviet Union — and the Middle East.

Cosmetics exports increased 21.5 percent to a record $8.3 billion as Korean-made skin care and beauty products gained popularity worldwide.

By country, China was the biggest buyer of Korean SME products, with imports totaling $18.9 billion, up 5.5 percent from a year earlier.

Exports to the United States edged down 0.6 percent to $18.3 billion due to tariffs.

Yonhap