Last year, Korea’s automobile exports reached USD 72 billion, hitting a record high. The negative impact of high tariffs imposed by the United States was offset by a surge in exports of eco-friendly vehicles and used cars to Europe and Asia.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 15th, Korea’s total automobile exports in 2025 were tallied at USD 72 billion. This surpassed the previous record of USD 70.9 billion set in 2023. Korea’s automobile exports have exceeded USD 70 billion for three consecutive years since 2023.

Last year, Korea’s automobile exports faced a “red light” when its largest market, the United States, imposed a 25% high tariff. In fact, automobile exports to the U.S. fell 13.2% year-on-year to USD 30.154 billion. However, robust exports of eco-friendly vehicles to Europe and rising exports of used cars to Asian countries drove overall export growth.

Exports to the European Union (EU) increased 20.1% to USD 9.678 billion, while exports to other European countries (30.5%) and Asia (31.9%) also surged. As hybrid vehicle exports reached a record high of USD 14.8 billion, up 30%, exports of eco-friendly vehicles expanded 11% to USD 25.8 billion. Used car exports also hit an all-time high of USD 8.87 billion, up 75.1%.

The outlook for domestic automobile exports this year remains challenging. This is due to expectations that global protectionism will further expand local production and intensify competition with major countries. A Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy official stated, “We will faithfully implement the ‘AI Future Vehicle M.AX (Great Transformation) Alliance’ established in September last year and the ‘K-Mobility Leading Strategy’ prepared in November, and provide full support so that future industrial competitiveness can be strengthened and export momentum can be reinforced.”

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