South Korea's cosmetics trade surplus tops $10 bln for 1st time in 2025

South Korea's trade surplus in cosmetic products exceeded $10 billion for the first time last year, government data showed Friday, marking a significant milestone for the country's K-beauty industry.

The trade surplus in cosmetics rose 13.5 percent from a year earlier to reach $10.1 billion in 2025, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a press release.

South Korea first posted a cosmetics trade surplus in 2012, at $90 million, and the figure has grown rapidly ever since, rising from $6.6