Cars and smartphones may be among South Korea’s top exports to the United States, but few products enjoy the same devoted global following as the country’s beauty offerings. Korean beauty products, known collectively as K-beauty, cover a wide range of skincare, makeup, and cosmetics, and have gained global acclaim for their quality, affordability, and unique ingredients.
K-beauty’s rise has been fueled in part by the global appeal of South Korean culture. In the US, consumers like Pearl Mak, a 27-year-old graphic designer, say they prefer Korean skincare to many Western brands, which they find too harsh. “Ninety-five percent of my skincare is made up of K-beauty products,” Mak told the BBC.
She’s not alone. Americans spent an estimated $1.7 billion on K-beauty products in 2024, a more than 50% increase over the previous year, according to industry figures.
Part of the appeal lies in the pricing and innovation. Many K-beauty products are less expensive than their Western counterparts and incorporate novel ingredients such as heartleaf and snail mucin, which are not commonly used in US brands.
However, this booming sector is facing fresh challenges. US President Donald Trump has introduced a 15% import tax on South Korean goods, including cosmetics, as part of a broader trade policy shift. While lower than the initially threatened 25% levy, the move has sparked concern among retailers and consumers.
Retailers like Santé Brand, a US-based K-beauty seller, saw a 30% surge in orders following the announcement. “When the tariff announcements hit, customers got strategic with how they were going to weather the storm,” said founder Cheyenne Ware.
Other sellers, including Senti Senti, have also ramped up their orders in anticipation of price hikes. Manager Winnie Zhong confirmed receiving supplier alerts urging retailers to stock up before tariffs fully impact prices.
Industry players agree that prices are expected to rise. Ware cautioned that maintaining flat prices over the next two years would be unrealistic, especially for small beauty sellers on platforms like Amazon who operate on tight margins.
Economist Munseob Lee from the University of California San Diego said fans of Korean skincare are unlikely to abandon their favorite products, even in the face of price increases. “Casual buyers might be turned off by the higher price, but fans won’t find an easy substitute,” he said.
Zhong echoed that view, noting that while customers may buy fewer items, they will still prioritize their go-to Korean products.
Mak agreed. “It depends on how much the price shoots up, but as of now, I am willing to pay more to purchase the same products,” she said.
Larger K-beauty brands may be better positioned to absorb the costs of new tariffs. According to South Korea-based business consultant Eyal Victor Mamou, these companies have higher profit margins that allow them to shield consumers from immediate price increases.
Smaller firms, on the other hand, may struggle to remain competitive. “It will take some time to take effect since most goods being sold in the short run have already been commissioned at current prices, but we’ll see it play out soon,” Mamou noted.
President Trump has recently extended similar tariffs to imports from Japan and the European Union, leveling the playing field across key global cosmetics exporters. The broader goal of his trade strategy is to encourage more manufacturing within the US.
Still, it’s unclear whether American consumers will shift their loyalty. Mak, for one, isn’t convinced. “I do search for American-made alternatives often, but I have yet to find any that are as effective as the ones I use. So I wouldn’t go for American products yet,” she said.
For now, the K-beauty wave shows no signs of slowing, though the price tag may soon look different.
