Amorepacific is planning to double down on US manufacturing as the South Korean beauty brand owner grapples with America’s recent tariff hike.
The company’s CEO Kim Seung-hwan said it will be increasing its investment in US logistics and module manufacturing facilities over the next five years in a TV interview with Bloomberg.
The update to its US manufacturing capabilities was set to be rolled out over a longer period, but US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have caused the Laneige-owner to speed up its plans.
“We are discussing contingency plans with US customers to respond to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs,” Seung-hwan told Bloomberg.
Amorepacific predominantly relies on manufacturing from China and South Korea, which have been hit hard by the increased levies.
South Korea has been slapped with 25% reciprocal tariffs, with other Asian countries such as Japan (24%) and China (145%) having been handed similarly high levies.
The news follows South Korea investing KWR40bn (US$27m) to support beauty businesses and start-ups to alleviate pressures caused by the tariffs.
The country’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups marked the official establishment of the K-Beauty Fund during a conference on 9 April.
This was after originally announcing it in July 2024.
The initiative aims to strengthen the global standing of Korean cosmetics, which reportedly represents the leading export item among SMEs from the country.
It will also prioritise investments in K-beauty brands and beauty technology start-ups across the entire cosmetics value chain.
