With cosmetics exports hitting an all-time high of $11.4 billion (about 16.7 trillion won) last year, Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, is paying close attention to K-beauty.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on the 22nd that it hosted consultation sessions on the 20th21st, inviting a 12-member Walmart delegation that included six vice president-level executives and purchasing leads.

Cosmetics showed strong growth in the U.S. market last year. Exports to the United States rose 15.1% year-on-year to $2.19 billion, surpassing China ($2.02 billion), the long-standing top destination. KOTRA said Walmart, viewing K-beauty as a potential growth driver for its beauty division, dispatched a large number of key decision-makers.

Fifty-seven Korean companies held one-on-one meetings with the Walmart buying team. Walmart plans to first verify consumer response in its online store, then pursue entry into physical stores. KOTRA explained that this approach benefits domestic cosmetics companies by lowering export barriers and creating more sales opportunities.

A Walmart representative said, “The K-beauty industry boasts multiple strengths, including proven product efficacy and strong brand competitiveness, which is why we took part in this event,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to offer Walmart customers high-quality products at reasonable prices.”

Building on this consultation event, KOTRA plans to establish a long-term cooperation framework with Walmart to support expanding store placement opportunities for Korean companies.

KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung said, “In the world’s largest market, the United States, K-beauty is beloved in consumers’ daily lives,” adding, “We will work with large distribution networks like Walmart to expand entry into the U.S. market and actively support increasing exports by leveraging these networks’ global sales channels.”