South Korea became the leading cosmetics exporter to the United States last year, overtaking France for the first time as global demand for Korean beauty products continues to grow.

Citing data from the US International Trade Commission, Bloomberg reported that South Korea’s cosmetics exports to the US reached $1.701 billion in 2024, surpassing France’s $1.263 billion.

Canada ranked third with $1.022 billion in exports, followed by Italy, China, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan.

During the same period, South Korea’s total cosmetics exports rose to $10.2 billion in 2024 - an increase of 20.6 percent from the previous year and a significant jump from $7.5 billion in 2020, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Although demand in China has softened, Korean beauty brands have expanded their presence in the United States, now the world’s largest beauty market.