K-Beauty Beat French Cosmetics in U.S., Japan

Korean cosmetics have risen to the top of imported cosmetics in the U.S. and Japan, beating French ones with luxury brands such as Chanel and Lancôme.

According to the U.S. International Trade Commission's import statistics, the U.S. imports of Korean cosmetics from January to October last year amounted to $1.4517 billion, KRW 2.6 trillion, beating France, which had maintained its No. 1 position.

Korean cosmetics have also been the top importer in Japan for three years following 2022.

Last year, cosmetics exports exceeded $10 billion for the first time in history, up 20.6% from a year ago to $10.2 billion and 15 trillion won in our money.

Basic products are gaining popularity in the U.S. market, where ingredients and effects are important for Korean cosmetics, and color products are attracting attention in Japan.

Industry officials said that domestic cosmetics currently exported to the U.S. are tariff-free, but if the Trump administration imposes tariffs of more than 10 percent on top of that, price competitiveness will inevitably decrease.

However, there is also an opinion that cosmetics will not be significantly affected by tariffs because the price range is not high.