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Commodity watch · updated Nov 13, 7:44 AM EST

South Korea: commodities

For every crop USDA forecasts and every country that matters for it: USDA's crop outlook, the weather forecast over the main growing regions at the crop's stage, trade, prices and hedge funds' bets, and how much our sources are saying about it. A plain score from 0 to 100 says how much the supply looks at risk, and when the risk is real but the news is quiet, the watch raises a flag. Now: 800 cards for 62 commodities, 5 flagged.

Tangerines and mandarins

5· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 570,000 t in 2025/26, up 5.4% on last year, 2% of the world's
TradeExports 3,000 t; imports 16,000 t
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days
Why 5
  • +5 USDA expects a crop 5% bigger than last year's

Pig herds

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 19.1 million head in 2027, up 1.1% on last year, 2% of the world's
TradeImports 2,000 head
MarketHedge funds betting on lower prices (59,072 contracts net, their biggest bet in a year)

Pork

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 1.7 million t in 2027, up 0.9% on last year, 1% of the world's
TradeExports 15,000 t; imports 785,000 t, 9% of the world's; bought 7,891 t of US pork in the week to Oct 29; 132,321 t shipped this marketing year (143,166 t a year earlier)
MarketHedge funds betting on lower prices (59,072 contracts net, their biggest bet in a year)
News1 report in our sources in the last 14 days

Cheese

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 26,000 t in 2026, down 3.7% on last year
TradeExports 1,000 t; imports 170,000 t, 7% of the world's
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days

Corn (maize)

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 94,000 t in 2026/27, down 0% on last year
TradeImports 11.5 million t, 6% of the world's; bought 23 t of US corn (maize) in the week to Oct 29; 1.3 million t shipped this marketing year (1.3 million t a year earlier)
MarketMaize $226.5/mt in October, down 5.5% on the month, up 14.3% on the year, the lowest since August 2026; hedge funds betting on higher prices (8,795 contracts net)
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days
CropUSDA expects no cottonseed crop to speak of in 2026/27
TradeExports 1,000 t; imports 145,000 t, 16% of the world's
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days
CropUSDA expects no copra meal crop to speak of in 2026/27
TradeImports 200,000 t, 36% of the world's
CropUSDA expects no palm kernel meal crop to speak of in 2026/27
TradeImports 900,000 t, 12% of the world's

Bought from the US

USDA's weekly export sales, the week to October 29, 2026: new sales less cancellations, and this marketing year's shipments.

CommodityThis weekShipped this year
wheat99,967 t667,794 ta year earlier 980,559
soybean meal48,008 t91,193 ta year earlier 58
pork7,891 t132,321 ta year earlier 143,166
upland cotton4,312 bales15,599 balesa year earlier 29,319
beef3,241 t170,841 ta year earlier 170,670
corn23 t1,313,973 ta year earlier 1,257,603
sorghum0 t0 ta year earlier 0
soybeans0 t2,155 ta year earlier 122,119
soybean oil0 t0 ta year earlier 0
rice0 t35,385 ta year earlier 43,449

Who buys its commodities

Its biggest commodity exports (farm, energy, metals) in 2024 and their main buyers, by value (CEPII BACI, January 2026 release, from UN trade statistics; Etalab Open Licence 2.0).

  • Copper $2.6 billionChina 79%, Taiwan 8.5%, Vietnam 6.7%, Thailand 3%
  • Silver $2.1 billionJapan 44%, China, Hong Kong SAR 20%, United States 15%, Canada 5%
  • Gold $1.4 billionChina, Hong Kong SAR 54%, Singapore 13%, Taiwan 7%, Vietnam 4.7%
  • Zinc $1.4 billionIndia 23%, Vietnam 20%, Taiwan 9.3%, China 7.8%
  • Aluminium $775 millionVietnam 28%, China 22%, Mexico 8.1%, Morocco 5.5%
  • Lead $764 millionIndia 34%, Vietnam 27%, United States 17%, Indonesia 5.4%
  • Sugar $186 millionChina 62%, China, Hong Kong SAR 26%, Malaysia 2.2%, China, Macao SAR 1.7%
  • Platinum $178 millionUnited States 34%, United Kingdom 23%, Japan 19%, Switzerland 13%
  • Chicken $73 millionVietnam 100%, China, Hong Kong SAR 0.2%, Singapore 0.1%, Mauritius 0%
  • Nickel $64 millionSweden 25%, India 17%, Taiwan 14%, Netherlands 10%

Where its commodities come from

Its biggest commodity imports in 2024 and where they come from, by value.

  • Crude oil $84 billionSaudi Arabia 35%, United States 17%, United Arab Emirates 14%, Iraq 9.1%
  • Natural gas $29 billionAustralia 25%, Qatar 23%, Oman 12%, Malaysia 12%
  • Coal $15 billionAustralia 35%, Indonesia 17%, Russia 15%, Canada 12%
  • Iron ore $7.8 billionAustralia 69%, Brazil 14%, South Africa 7.8%, Canada 6%
  • Copper $7.6 billionChile 36%, Indonesia 14%, Dem. Rep. of the Congo 12%, Canada 9%
  • Aluminium $4.0 billionAustralia 25%, Russia 22%, India 15%, Malaysia 9.1%
  • Beef $3.7 billionUnited States 59%, Australia 36%, Canada 2.7%, New Zealand 2.2%
  • Corn (maize) $2.6 billionArgentina 27%, United States 25%, Brazil 22%, Ukraine 9.3%
  • Gold $2.4 billionAustralia 54%, Japan 21%, China, Hong Kong SAR 14%, Switzerland 4.2%
  • Pork $2.1 billionUnited States 33%, Spain 16%, Canada 13%, Chile 8.8%

South Korea's country page

Prices, October 2026

The World Bank's monthly averages in US dollars (the Pink Sheet, updated November 3), against the month before and a year before. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

CommodityPriceMonthYear
Energy
Crude oil, average108.5 $/bbl+6.1%+72.2%
Crude oil, Brent125 $/bbl+7%+93.2%
Crude oil, Dubai102.7 $/bbl+10.1%+59.7%
Crude oil, WTI97.7 $/bbl+0.8%+62.3%
Coal, Australian152.3 $/mt+3.5%+41.7%
Coal, South African100 $/mt+1.8%+9.2%
Natural gas, US2.96 $/mmbtu+0.3%−7.5%
Natural gas, Europe28.5 $/mmbtu+12.1%+161.7%
Liquefied natural gas, Japan16.59 $/mmbtu+2%+49.5%
Natural gas index182.7 2010=100+8.9%+86.2%
Beverages
Cocoa5.75 $/kg−2.9%−3.4%
Coffee, Arabica7.4 $/kg+1.9%−16.9%
Coffee, Robusta3.63 $/kg−1.6%−23.4%
Tea, avg 3 auctions2.88 $/kg+0.7%−4.3%
Tea, Colombo3.75 $/kg+0.5%−4.8%
Tea, Kolkata2.55 $/kg+0.8%−10.8%
Tea, Mombasa2.33 $/kg+1.3%+4.5%
Food
Coconut oil2,029 $/mt−2.4%−20.3%
Groundnuts1,600 $/mt+2.4%+33.3%
Fish meal2,840 $/mt−2.6%+60.5%
Groundnut oil1,850 $/mt−0.5%+13.6%
Palm oil1,120 $/mt−5.1%+7.9%
Palm kernel oil2,287 $/mt−2.9%+0.6%
Soybeans515 $/mt−1.7%+27.5%
Soybean oil1,546 $/mt−4.3%+36.6%
Soybean meal453 $/mt+1.3%+27.2%
Rapeseed oil1,405 $/mt−2.6%+11.2%
Sunflower oil1,413 $/mt+1.4%+3.7%
Barley80.4 $/mtAugust 2020——
Maize226.5 $/mt−5.5%+14.3%
Sorghum189.5 $/mtAugust 2020——
Rice, Thai 5%489 $/mt+1.5%+37.4%
Rice, Thai 25%472 $/mt+2.4%+34.5%
Rice, Thai A.1467.4 $/mt−1.2%+39.1%
Rice, Viet Namese 5%413.9 $/mt−1.1%+13.2%
Wheat, US SRW260.3 $/mt−6.6%+24.4%
Wheat, US HRW317 $/mt−8.6%+37.3%
Banana, Europe1.1 $/kg−1.8%−2.7%
Banana, US1.18 $/kg+5.4%+4.4%
Orange0.75 $/kg−5.1%−28.6%
Beef6.83 $/kg−0.4%−3.7%
Chicken1.84 $/kg+1.7%+7%
Lamb7.48 $/kg+3%+18.2%
Shrimps, Mexican8.6 $/kgOctober 2023——
Sugar, EU0.37 $/kg−2.6%−2.6%
Sugar, US0.92 $/kg+8.2%+19.5%
Sugar, world0.43 $/kg+4.9%+26.5%
Raw materials
Tobacco, US import u.v.6,775 $/mtJuly 2026——
Logs, Cameroon392.1 $/cubic meter−2.7%−3.7%
Logs, Malaysian188.5 $/cubic meter−0.9%−4.1%
Sawnwood, Cameroon636.8 $/cubic meter−0.9%−0.5%
Sawnwood, Malaysian724.3 $/cubic meter−1%−0.5%
Plywood345.8 cents/sheet−0.9%−4.1%
Cotton, A Index2 $/kg−4.8%+19%
Rubber, TSR202.55 $/kg+5.8%+49.1%
Rubber, RSS32.83 $/kg+2.9%+41.5%
Fertilizers
Phosphate rock170 $/mt0%+11.5%
DAP803.1 $/mt+0.3%+6.5%
TSP692 $/mt+0.3%+5.1%
Urea420 $/mt+3.1%+6.5%
Potassium chloride357.5 $/mt−2.7%+1.6%
Metals and minerals
Aluminum3,061 $/mt−6.8%+9.6%
Iron ore, cfr spot90.8 $/dmtu−7.1%−12.3%
Copper14,508 $/mt+0.2%+35.1%
Lead1,860 $/mt−0.7%−5.5%
Tin51,696 $/mt−3.8%+43.6%
Nickel15,436 $/mt−5.4%+2.3%
Zinc3,818 $/mt−5%+21.1%
Precious metals
Gold4,105 $/troy oz−5%+1.2%
Platinum1,621 $/troy oz−9.1%+0.3%
Silver57 $/troy oz−11.8%+15.4%

The record

Each card's score calls USDA's next revision of the country's crop: 50 or more “cut likely”, 30 to 49 “cut possible”, under 30 “no cut expected”. When USDA revises (grains, oilseeds and cotton every month, about the 10th; coffee and sugar twice a year), the last call before it is checked against what USDA did.

CallCallsUSDA cutRaisedUnchanged
no cut expected4033032341
cut possible1010

Sources

Crop figures: USDA FAS (PSD, Weekly Export Sales). Prices: World Bank Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet), CC BY 4.0. Hedge funds: CFTC Commitments of Traders. Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), normals from NASA POWER. Trade partners: CEPII BACI (Etalab Open Licence 2.0). Crop calendars after USDA FAS's; growing regions are the main ones of each main producer.

The same readings as data, free: GET /api/v1/commodities (and /map, /country/{code}, /prices, /weather, /scorecard).