globaltraffic.earth

Trade between Russia and South Korea

In 2024, Russia exported $6.9 billion to South Korea and imported $4.5 billion. Russia ran a surplus of $2.3 billion with South Korea, compared with a surplus of $6.9 billion in 2019. South Korea was Russia’s 7th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and Russia was South Korea’s 25th (0.8%).

Summary

Russia → South Korea
$6.9billion
South Korea → Russia
$4.5billion
Russia’s balance
$2.3billion

Balance

Russia’s trade balance with South Korea

Trade between Russia and South Korea grew 3.4-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Russia’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 6.9
  • Imports 4.5
  • Balance +2.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.9 billion$1.4 billion$477 million
1996$2.1 billion$1.3 billion$756 million
1997$1.5 billion$1.4 billion$101 million
1998$1.1 billion$1.4 billion-$281 million
1999$1.5 billion$531 million$940 million
2000$2 billion$626 million$1.4 billion
2001$1.8 billion$960 million$814 million
2002$2 billion$1.2 billion$895 million
2003$2.3 billion$1.7 billion$558 million
2004$3.3 billion$2.6 billion$660 million
2005$3.6 billion$4.5 billion-$941 million
2006$4.1 billion$7.4 billion-$3.2 billion
2007$6.8 billion$9.4 billion-$2.6 billion
2008$7 billion$10.8 billion-$3.9 billion
2009$6.1 billion$5.1 billion$933 million
2010$9.9 billion$8.6 billion$1.3 billion
2011$10 billion$12.6 billion-$2.6 billion
2012$10.4 billion$11.5 billion-$1 billion
2013$11.1 billion$10.7 billion$416 million
2014$15.1 billion$10.1 billion$5 billion
2015$12.1 billion$4.8 billion$7.2 billion
2016$10.8 billion$6.3 billion$4.5 billion
2017$12.4 billion$8.5 billion$3.9 billion
2018$17.4 billion$7.6 billion$9.9 billion
2019$15.2 billion$8.3 billion$6.9 billion
2020$13.3 billion$7.7 billion$5.7 billion
2021$17 billion$9.3 billion$7.6 billion
2022$14.8 billion$6.3 billion$8.5 billion
2023$8.9 billion$6.1 billion$2.8 billion
2024$6.9 billion$4.5 billion$2.3 billion

What they sell each other

What Russia sells to South Korea

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Coal$2.3 billion · 33.3%
    18.5 million tonnes · Russia’s destinations
  2. Natural gas and LPG$1.2 billion · 18.1%
    2.1 million tonnes
  3. Unwrought aluminum$863 million · 12.6%
    339 thousand tonnes · Russia’s destinations
  4. Radioactive elements$653 million · 9.5%
    540 tonnes
  5. Frozen fish$344 million · 5%
    219 thousand tonnes
  6. Prepared shellfish$304 million · 4.4%
    12 thousand tonnes
  7. Plywood$93 million · 1.4%
    62 thousand tonnes
  8. Sawn wood$90 million · 1.3%
    195 thousand tonnes · Russia’s destinations
  9. Ferroalloys$88 million · 1.3%
    58 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s sources
  10. Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crab)$84 million · 1.2%
    8 thousand tonnes

What South Korea sells to Russia

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Cars$589 million · 13%
    53 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  2. Makeup and skin care$322 million · 7.1%
    13 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  3. Refined petroleum$258 million · 5.7%
    74 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  4. Auto parts$173 million · 3.8%
    27 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  5. New tires$152 million · 3.4%
    35 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  6. Cranes$138 million · 3%
    20 thousand tonnes
  7. Polyethylene$137 million · 3%
    108 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  8. Medical and dental instruments$130 million · 2.9%
    928 tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  9. Orthopedic and hearing devices$125 million · 2.8%
    154 tonnes
  10. Plastic sheets and film$116 million · 2.6%
    31 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Saint Petersburg to Busan.

The estimated sea route between Saint Petersburg and Busan is 15,805 nautical miles (29,270 km) long: ≈ 36.5–47 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Øresund, the Strait of Dover, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Malacca and Singapore (15,805 nautical miles); and 15% via the Øresund, the Strait of Dover, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Malacca and Singapore (12,284 nautical miles).

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$10 billion · 87.6%
  2. Air$1.4 billion · 12.4%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

South Korea was Russia’s 7th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and Russia was South Korea’s 25th (0.8%).

South Korea in Russia’s trade
2%
South Korea’s rank among Russia’s partners
7th
Russia in South Korea’s trade
0.8%
Russia’s rank among South Korea’s partners
25th

Compare with

Other partners of Russia

Other partners of South Korea

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.