South Korea’s import growth slowed in February 2026, with inbound shipments rising 7.5% year-over-year, down from an 11.6% gain recorded in January 2026. The latest figures, updated on 1 March 2026, indicate a moderation in external demand pressures after a strong start to the year.
Both the current and previous readings are measured on a year-over-year basis, comparing each month’s imports to the same month a year earlier. While imports continued to expand in February, the deceleration from January’s pace suggests some cooling in the growth momentum of South Korea’s trade activity. Investors and policymakers are likely to watch upcoming data closely to assess whether this marks the beginning of a more sustained normalization in import growth.
