Shipping from Korea to the Philippines: Rates & Guide
Almost every guide about shipping from Korea to the Philippines is about balikbayan boxes. This one isn't. This is for people buying Korean stock to sell.
The gap nobody talks about
Search "shipping from Korea to Philippines" and you get padala services. Boxes of Choco Pie and shoes for family back home. That industry is well served.
What barely exists is guidance for the other group: Filipinos buying Korean products to resell. K-beauty, fashion, food, small appliances, phone accessories. Different needs entirely — commercial invoices, consistent restocking, FDA clearance, landed cost you can price against.
If you are running a business, a balikbayan forwarder is the wrong tool. Here is the right one.
Why Korean goods are worth importing
The demand side is not in question. K-beauty is one of the fastest-growing categories in Philippine retail, and Korean food, fashion and homeware ride the same cultural wave. The hard part has never been selling. It has been sourcing reliably and landing stock at a cost that leaves margin.
The counterfeit problem is your opportunity. Fake Korean cosmetics are widespread in the Philippines. Buyers know it, and they pay a premium for sellers they trust. If you can prove authentic sourcing, you compete on trust rather than price — which is a far better business to be in.
How the Korea lane works
Same structure as our China service, with one useful addition.
- Seoul · Incheon — air. Fast, for high-value or urgent restocks.
- Seoul · Guri — sea. The economical option for bulk and heavier goods.
- Seoul · Incheon — small package. Built for smaller consignments that don't justify a full sea booking. Ideal when you are testing a product or restocking a single SKU.
You get a warehouse address in Korea and a client code. Your supplier ships domestically within Korea to that address, marks every box with your code, and we consolidate and forward to Manila.
Where to buy
- Coupang — Korea's dominant marketplace. Enormous range, fast domestic delivery, but domestic-only shipping. This is where the warehouse address earns its keep. Step by step: how to order from Coupang to the Philippines.
- Gmarket and 11st — broad marketplaces with more small-seller variety.
- Direct from brands or distributors — the right move once you know your volumes. Better pricing, and authenticity documentation you can show customers.
- Wholesale platforms — several serve international K-beauty buyers with English support and lower minimums, which is a sensible way to start.
The compliance part — read this before you order
Cosmetics, skincare, supplements and food are FDA-regulated in the Philippines. This is the step that catches new importers, and it is not optional.
Products intended for commercial sale generally require FDA notification or registration. Personal-use quantities are treated differently from commercial quantities, and the line is not as generous as people assume. If you are importing to sell, plan for the paperwork rather than hoping to slip under it.
Practical approach: start with a small, compliant test shipment while your registrations are in progress, rather than committing to a large order you cannot legally sell. Talk to us before you place a first order in a regulated category — it is a short conversation that prevents an expensive mistake.
Korea to Philippines rates
Our Korea rates are published and all-in — taxes, duties, port fees both ends, freight and warehouse fees included. You are not settling a separate customs bill when your goods are released.
Sea freight (per CBM)
| Volume | Rate per CBM |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 CBM | ₱22,000 |
| 5–10 CBM | ₱21,500 |
| 10–20 CBM | ₱21,000 |
| 20+ CBM | ₱20,500 |
Air freight (per kg)
| Weight | Regular | Medical supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 kg | ₱850 | ₱1,000 |
| 50–100 kg | ₱825 | ₱975 |
| 100–200 kg | ₱800 | ₱950 |
| 200+ kg | ₱775 | ₱925 |
Two worked examples. A 1.5 CBM sea shipment of Korean homeware: 1.5 × ₱22,000 = ₱33,000 all-in. A 30 kg air shipment of fashion accessories: 30 × ₱850 = ₱25,500 all-in. Rates are confirmed once your cargo is measured at our warehouse; for very dense sea cargo, ask us first.
Korea vs China. Per CBM, Korea costs more: ₱22,000 against ₱9,250 for everyday goods from China. Korea earns its place for products you can only get there, and where authentic Korean sourcing is what your customers pay for. Sea remains the sensible default for anything bulky or heavy; air suits high-value or urgent restocks. Estimate your shipment in the shipping cost calculator (choose South Korea), or see every lane on the rates page.
A realistic first order
- Create your Angkat Express account and get your client code and Korea warehouse address.
- Pick three to five SKUs you are confident you can sell. Not thirty.
- Confirm the FDA position on anything you plan to sell commercially.
- Order to the warehouse address, code on every box.
- Ship the test batch by small package or air, sell it, and learn your real margins.
- Scale the winners by sea.
The importers who last are the ones who found out what actually sells before they tied up capital in it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does shipping from Korea to the Philippines cost?
Sea freight is ₱22,000 per CBM for up to 5 CBM, dropping to ₱20,500 per CBM at 20 CBM and above. Air freight is ₱850 per kg for regular goods up to 50 kg, dropping to ₱775 per kg at 200 kg and above; medical supplies are ₱1,000 down to ₱925 per kg. All rates are all-in.
Are the Korea rates all-in?
Yes. Taxes, duties, port fees in Korea and the Philippines, freight and warehouse fees are inside the rate, so there is no separate customs bill when your goods are released. Rates are confirmed once your cargo is measured at our warehouse.
Is shipping from Korea more expensive than from China?
Per CBM, yes. Korea sea freight starts at ₱22,000 per CBM, against ₱9,250 per CBM for everyday goods from China. Korea makes sense for products you can only get there, like Korean skincare brands, or where authentic Korean sourcing is what your customers pay for.
Can I ship a small test order from Korea?
Yes. Air freight is billed per kilogram, and our Seoul–Incheon small package service is built for consignments that don't justify a sea booking, such as a first test batch or a single-SKU restock.
Related reading
- How to import Korean skincare and cosmetics
- Importing Korean food to the Philippines
- China, Korea, Taiwan or Hong Kong — where should you source?
- How to compute landed cost (the formula that matters)
- What you can't import from China to the Philippines
- RCEP: the third certificate of origin
Ready to import from Korea?
Create a free account and get your Korea warehouse address and client code in minutes.
Get my client code →