SEOUL — South Korea’s electric vehicle exports to the United States plunged nearly 90 percent in 2025, hit by U.S. auto tariffs and the rollback of EV-related subsidies under the administration of President Donald Trump, industry data showed on Wednesday.
According to data from the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association, South Korea exported 12,166 electric vehicles to the U.S. in 2025, an 86.8 percent decline from 92,049 units the previous year. It marked the lowest annual total since 2022, when overseas EV shipments began to gain momentum.
The slowdown intensified toward the end of the year. In November alone, South Korea exported just 13 electric vehicles to the U.S., the lowest monthly figure on record.
As a result, the U.S. share of South Korea’s total global EV exports dropped sharply to 4.6 percent in 2025, compared with 35 percent in 2024.
Industry observers expect EV exports to the U.S. to remain weak in the near term due to the impact of tariffs and Washington’s rollback of related subsidies.
“South Korean automakers may need to shift their focus toward other markets, such as Europe, where carbon-neutral policies continue to gain momentum,” an industry official said.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s overall automobile exports declined 10.5 percent year-on-year in October, largely due to fewer working days caused by the extended Chuseok holiday, according to government data. The value of outbound automobile shipments stood at $5.5 billion in October, down from $6.2 billion a year earlier, figures from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources showed.
Despite the monthly decline, cumulative automobile exports from January through October reached a record high of $59.6 billion.
The ministry said October exports were weaker because the fall harvest Chuseok holiday fell in early October, unlike in 2024 when the holiday was in September. Auto exports in September had risen 16.8 percent year-on-year.
By destination, exports to the United States fell 29 percent year-on-year to $2.12 billion in October, largely attributed to the 25 percent import tariffs imposed on South Korean vehicles by the Trump administration. (Source: IANS)
