globaltraffic.earth

Where does South Korea get its medicines? Import sources 2024

In 2024, South Korea imported $4.8 billion of medicines (67 thousand tonnes), 1% of the world total. Its main sources were the United States (20%), Germany (18%) and Ireland (9%). South Korea was the world’s 22nd-largest importer of medicines.

Summary

Value
$4.8billion
Tonnes
67thousand tonnes
Share of world total
1%
World rank
22nd
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD millions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
United States938Tonnes: 3,219USD per tonne: $291,25619.6%Air
Germany866Tonnes: 8,606USD per tonne: $100,62918.1%Air
Ireland449Tonnes: 7,105USD per tonne: $63,1899.4%Air
France377Tonnes: 6,214USD per tonne: $60,6627.9%Air
Switzerland274Tonnes: 515USD per tonne: $531,4855.7%Air
Italy265Tonnes: 9,650USD per tonne: $27,4295.5%Sea
Japan251Tonnes: 11,841USD per tonne: $21,2395.3%Sea
United Kingdom189Tonnes: 620USD per tonne: $304,1424%Air
Denmark170Tonnes: 290USD per tonne: $585,9883.6%Air
Spain131Tonnes: 1,643USD per tonne: $79,9362.8%Air
Belgium re-exports119Tonnes: 1,850USD per tonne: $64,1692.5%Sea
Singapore re-exports110Tonnes: 6,663USD per tonne: $16,5502.3%Sea
Greece110Tonnes: 551USD per tonne: $199,8252.3%Air
Sweden101Tonnes: 1,804USD per tonne: $56,1202.1%Air
Canada83.2Tonnes: 366USD per tonne: $227,2351.7%Air
China59.2Tonnes: 1,330USD per tonne: $44,5511.2%Sea
Netherlands re-exports44Tonnes: 128USD per tonne: $344,4870.92%Air
Indonesia34.5Tonnes: 1,252USD per tonne: $27,5310.72%Sea
Poland31.8Tonnes: 64USD per tonne: $497,2910.67%Air
India30.9Tonnes: 437USD per tonne: $70,6130.65%Air

Trend

Who it buys from

The United States has been its main source since 2018

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • United States 0.94
  • Germany 0.87
  • Ireland 0.45
  • France 0.38
  • Switzerland 0.27

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
United States0.020.94
Germany0.020.87
Ireland< 0.010.45
France0.010.38
Switzerland0.030.27

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

See all products