New Export Market Faces: 26,000 Companies Entering in Record Numbers

Last year, nearly 26,000 companies entered the export market, marking the highest number in five years. The increase in new exporters is accompanied by a rise in survival rates, indicating a broader export base.

According to the Customs Service's report on the status of new entrants in the export market for 2025, 25,953 companies entered the export sector last year, a 2.7% increase from the previous year. This figure represents the largest number of new exporters in the past five years.

New entrants are defined as companies that recorded export or import activity for the first time after having no such activity in the previous year. This analysis is part of a deeper examination of the export market statistics released by the Customs Service in April as part of the '2025 Business Trade Activity Statistics'.

The survival rate of new exporters has also improved. The percentage of companies that continued export activities for more than one year after entering the market reached 49.9%, the highest in five years. The Customs Service attributes this increase to the overall boost in exports, which surpassed $700 billion for the first time last year.

In terms of product categories, companies dealing in machinery and computer-related products were the most numerous, followed by those in electrical products, plastics, cosmetics, and automobiles. On average, each new exporter handled 1.7 product categories.

The average export volume per company was around $300,000. However, 82% of these companies had export volumes of less than $100,000, indicating a significant presence of small-scale exporters.

The number of countries targeted for exports reached 175. Companies exporting to China were the most numerous, followed by those exporting to the United States, Japan, Vietnam, and the European Union. Each new exporter, on average, exported products to 1.5 countries.

Regionally, companies located in the metropolitan area, including Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, accounted for the largest share, followed by those in the southeastern region of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, the Daegu and Gyeongbuk area, and the central region of Sejong, Daejeon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk.

A Customs Service official stated, "The increase in new exporters can lead to an expansion of our export base and enhanced competitiveness, and we plan to continue providing relevant statistical analyses."