Seoul: South Korea's exports increased by 7.6 percent in the first 20 days of August compared to the same period last year, driven by strong demand for semiconductors and automobiles. Outbound shipments totaled $35.5 billion, up from $33 billion in the previous year, as reported by the Korea Customs Service.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the daily average volume of exports also rose by 7.6 percent year-on-year, with the number of working days remaining unchanged at 14.5. Imports saw a slight increase of 0.4 percent to $34.7 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $800 million for the period.
The data highlighted a 29.5 percent surge in semiconductor exports, reaching $8.71 billion, which accounted for 24.5 percent of the country's total exports, marking a 4.2 percentage point increase from last year. Automobile exports rose by 21.7 percent to $2.77 billion, while vessel shipments increased by 28.9 percent to $2.3 billion.
Exports to the United States decreased by 2.7 percent to $5.03 billion, influenced by tariff measures from President Donald Trump's administration. Conversely, exports to China, South Korea's primary trading partner, experienced a 2.7 percent rise to $6.99 billion.
In comparison, South Korea's exports in July increased by 5.9 percent year-on-year to $60.8 billion, supported by strong global demand for semiconductors despite U.S. tariff policies.