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Trade between South Korea and the United Arab Emirates

In 2024, South Korea exported $4.9 billion to the United Arab Emirates and imported $17.9 billion. South Korea ran a deficit of $13 billion with the United Arab Emirates, compared with a deficit of $5.1 billion in 2019. The United Arab Emirates was South Korea’s 14th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and South Korea was the United Arab Emirates’ 8th (4%).

Summary

South Korea → United Arab Emirates
$4.9billion
United Arab Emirates → South Korea
$17.9billion
South Korea’s balance
-$13billion

Balance

South Korea’s trade balance with the United Arab Emirates

Trade between South Korea and the United Arab Emirates grew 7.9-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 4.9
  • Imports 17.9
  • Balance -13

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.3 billion$1.6 billion-$237 million
1996$1.4 billion$2.3 billion-$881 million
1997$1.4 billion$3.1 billion-$1.7 billion
1998$1.5 billion$1.9 billion-$421 million
1999$1.6 billion$2.6 billion-$1 billion
2000$2 billion$4.7 billion-$2.7 billion
2001$2.2 billion$4.6 billion-$2.5 billion
2002$2.3 billion$4.2 billion-$1.9 billion
2003$2.2 billion$5.8 billion-$3.5 billion
2004$2.6 billion$7.3 billion-$4.7 billion
2005$2.3 billion$10 billion-$7.8 billion
2006$2.9 billion$12.9 billion-$10 billion
2007$3.3 billion$12.7 billion-$9.4 billion
2008$5 billion$19.4 billion-$14.4 billion
2009$5 billion$9.3 billion-$4.3 billion
2010$5.5 billion$12.2 billion-$6.7 billion
2011$7.3 billion$14.8 billion-$7.5 billion
2012$8.8 billion$15.2 billion-$6.4 billion
2013$4.8 billion$18.1 billion-$13.2 billion
2014$5.9 billion$16.2 billion-$10.3 billion
2015$5.4 billion$8.6 billion-$3.2 billion
2016$5.1 billion$7 billion-$1.9 billion
2017$7.4 billion$9.7 billion-$2.3 billion
2018$5.7 billion$9.3 billion-$3.6 billion
2019$4 billion$9.1 billion-$5.1 billion
2020$4.1 billion$5.7 billion-$1.6 billion
2021$3.7 billion$7.5 billion-$3.8 billion
2022$4 billion$15.6 billion-$11.6 billion
2023$5.1 billion$16.6 billion-$11.4 billion
2024$4.9 billion$17.9 billion-$13 billion

What they sell each other

What South Korea sells to the United Arab Emirates

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

  1. Cars$479 million · 9.7%
    69 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  2. Auto parts$319 million · 6.5%
    38 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  3. Nuclear reactors and fuel$273 million · 5.5%
    159 tonnes
  4. Refined petroleum$253 million · 5.1%
    288 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  5. Cigarettes and cigars$182 million · 3.7%
    12 thousand tonnes
  6. Makeup and skin care$158 million · 3.2%
    3 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  7. Cameras and broadcast equipment$111 million · 2.3%
    258 tonnes
  8. Synthetic filament fabric$107 million · 2.2%
    12 thousand tonnes
  9. New tires$103 million · 2.1%
    25 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  10. Water heaters and industrial dryers$101 million · 2%
    12 thousand tonnes

What the United Arab Emirates sells to South Korea

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

  1. Crude petroleum$11.9 billion · 66.4%
    18.6 million tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  2. Refined petroleum$5 billion · 27.8%
    7.5 million tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  3. Natural gas and LPG$286 million · 1.6%
    493 thousand tonnes
  4. Unwrought aluminum$223 million · 1.3%
    85 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  5. Copper ore$161 million · 0.9%
    84 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s sources
  6. Copper scrap$97 million · 0.54%
    11 thousand tonnes
  7. Slag and ash with metals$63 million · 0.35%
    2 thousand tonnes
  8. Aluminum scrap$49 million · 0.27%
    26 thousand tonnes
  9. Coal$43 million · 0.24%
    187 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s sources
  10. Gold$24 million · 0.14%
    the United Arab Emirates’ destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Busan to Jebel Ali.

The estimated sea route between Busan and Jebel Ali is 6,070 nautical miles (11,242 km) long: ≈ 14–18 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore; and Strait of Hormuz.

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$21.5 billion · 94.1%
  2. Air$1.3 billion · 5.9%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United Arab Emirates was South Korea’s 14th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and South Korea was the United Arab Emirates’ 8th (4%).

The United Arab Emirates in South Korea’s trade
1.7%
The United Arab Emirates’ rank among South Korea’s partners
14th
South Korea in the United Arab Emirates’ trade
3.7%
South Korea’s rank among the United Arab Emirates’ partners
8th

Compare with

Other partners of South Korea

Other partners of the United Arab Emirates

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.