South Korea cuts synthetic rubber imports from Russia 18.5% in weight terms in 2025

MOSCOW. Jan 15 (Interfax) - South Korea imported 6,370 tonnes of synthetic rubber from Russia for $10.8 million in 2025, the Korea Customs Service reported.

In 2024, the country purchased 7,820 tonnes from Russia for $13.86 million.

Overall, South Korea imported 138,720 tonnes of synthetic rubber for $360.74 million across last year, a decrease of 2.2%. For many years, the country's leading supplier of the product has been China, which exported 51,550 tonnes there in 2025, up 9.8%.

The second biggest supplier was Singapore, from which it purchased 17,190 tonnes, down 10% from the previous year, and Japan was in third place with 16,670 tonnes of exports, down 13.1%, followed by the U.S. with 15,170 tonnes, up 16.4%, Czechia with 9,140 tonnes, up 41.9%, Germany with 8,460 tonnes, down 0.2%, and then Russia. In 2024, Russia was the sixth biggest supplier to the country, but was pushed down to seventh place by Czechia last year.

Russian companies imported 755 tonnes of synthetic rubber from South Korea, half the figure from 2024, for $2.1 million.