Chinese media outlet Yicai reported on the 25th, publishing an article titled 'K-beauty, shunned by Chinese consumers, explores the U.S. market.'

The article first stated that from 2014 to 2024, China was the largest overseas buyer of K-beauty, but now the U.S. has taken that position.

Citing data from Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, it reported that K-beauty exports in 2025 reached 11.4 billion dollars (approximately 1.8126 trillion yen), a 12.3% increase year-on-year, with the U.S. accounting for the largest share at 2.2 billion dollars (approximately 349.8 billion yen), followed by China at 2.0 billion dollars (approximately 318.0 billion yen), and Japan at 1.1 billion dollars (approximately 174.9 billion yen).

According to the article, this upward trend continued in the first quarter (January-March) of this year, with exports to the U.S. increasing by 41% year-on-year to 620 million dollars (approximately 98.58 billion yen).

Driving this growth are not major companies like Amorepacific and LG H&H, but rather countless small to medium-sized independent brands such as Medicube, Bio-Dance, COSRX, and Beauty of Joseon.

K-beauty's growth strategy has shifted from a high dependency on the Chinese market to focusing on diverse markets such as North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Furthermore, K-beauty brands are transitioning from emphasizing offline channels like duty-free shops and physical stores to focusing on digital marketing. According to a NielsenIQ report released last October, 70% of South Korean cosmetics sales are now through online channels. The expansion of K-beauty in the North American market largely depends on the hidden strength of the long-term export of Korean culture.

Ten years ago, K-beauty was in its prime in the Chinese market, but now sales are steadily declining. According to a report released last year by consulting firm Euromonitor International, due to intensified competition with Chinese brands and a decline in Chinese consumers' interest in South Korean brands, China's share of South Korean cosmetics exports has fallen from 66% to 20%. Many major cosmetics companies are scaling back their slow-growing, low-priced brands and concentrating resources on high-end, functional product lines. Numerous brands such as Mamonde, The Face Shop, innisfree, Etude, and Hera have significantly reduced their physical stores or withdrawn from the Chinese market. (Translated and edited by Yanagawa)