globaltraffic.earth

Trade between South Korea and Spain

In 2024, South Korea exported $3.8 billion to Spain and imported $2.4 billion. South Korea ran a surplus of $1.5 billion with Spain, compared with a surplus of $707 million in 2019. Spain was South Korea’s 34th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and South Korea was Spain’s 26th (0.7%).

Summary

South Korea → Spain
$3.8billion
Spain → South Korea
$2.4billion
South Korea’s balance
$1.5billion

Balance

South Korea’s trade balance with Spain

Trade between South Korea and Spain grew 3.9-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 3.8
  • Imports 2.4
  • Balance +1.5

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$983 million$592 million$391 million
1996$970 million$751 million$219 million
1997$1.1 billion$548 million$548 million
1998$1.6 billion$186 million$1.4 billion
1999$1.8 billion$262 million$1.5 billion
2000$1.8 billion$313 million$1.5 billion
2001$1.9 billion$348 million$1.6 billion
2002$2.1 billion$459 million$1.6 billion
2003$2.6 billion$495 million$2.1 billion
2004$3.3 billion$613 million$2.7 billion
2005$3.7 billion$687 million$3.1 billion
2006$5 billion$872 million$4.2 billion
2007$5 billion$964 million$4 billion
2008$4.1 billion$1.2 billion$2.8 billion
2009$2.6 billion$960 million$1.6 billion
2010$2.2 billion$1.2 billion$1.1 billion
2011$2.4 billion$1.4 billion$971 million
2012$2.2 billion$1.4 billion$709 million
2013$2.1 billion$1.7 billion$470 million
2014$2.2 billion$3 billion-$772 million
2015$2.5 billion$2.4 billion$96 million
2016$2.7 billion$2.3 billion$402 million
2017$3.9 billion$2.1 billion$1.8 billion
2018$3.7 billion$2.5 billion$1.2 billion
2019$3.5 billion$2.8 billion$707 million
2020$2.7 billion$2 billion$685 million
2021$3.2 billion$2.3 billion$920 million
2022$4.1 billion$2.5 billion$1.5 billion
2023$4 billion$2.4 billion$1.5 billion
2024$3.8 billion$2.4 billion$1.5 billion

What they sell each other

What South Korea sells to Spain

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

  1. Cars$1.2 billion · 32.5%
    86 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  2. Hot-rolled flat steel$226 million · 5.9%
    258 thousand tonnes
  3. Polycarboxylic acids$143 million · 3.7%
    168 thousand tonnes
  4. Auto parts$139 million · 3.6%
    19 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  5. Coated flat steel$109 million · 2.8%
    119 thousand tonnes
  6. New tires$101 million · 2.6%
    18 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  7. Polyethylene$86 million · 2.2%
    68 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  8. Steel structures$72 million · 1.9%
    35 thousand tonnes
  9. Industrial fatty acids and oils$72 million · 1.9%
    53 thousand tonnes
  10. Vaccines, blood and antisera$69 million · 1.8%
    5 tonnes · South Korea’s destinations

What Spain sells to South Korea

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

  1. Pork$343 million · 14.5%
    87 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  2. Precious metal scrap$158 million · 6.7%
    421 tonnes
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$131 million · 5.6%
    2 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  4. Olive oil$115 million · 4.9%
    12 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  5. Auto parts$109 million · 4.6%
    4 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  6. Fruit and vegetable juices$88 million · 3.7%
    38 thousand tonnes
  7. Bags, suitcases and cases$86 million · 3.7%
    128 tonnes
  8. Vaccines, blood and antisera$64 million · 2.7%
    633 tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  9. Refined petroleum$63 million · 2.7%
    73 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  10. Unwrought zinc$44 million · 1.9%
    15 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Busan to Valencia.

The estimated sea route between Busan and Valencia is 13,807 nautical miles (25,571 km) long: ≈ 32–41 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Gibraltar (13,807 nautical miles); and 15% via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal (9,425 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$5 billion · 80%
  2. Air$1.2 billion · 20%

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

How much each matters to the other

Spain was South Korea’s 34th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and South Korea was Spain’s 26th (0.7%).

Spain in South Korea’s trade
0.5%
Spain’s rank among South Korea’s partners
34th
South Korea in Spain’s trade
0.7%
South Korea’s rank among Spain’s partners
26th

Compare with

Other partners of South Korea

Other partners of Spain

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.