Exports from the 1st to the 10th of this month rose 17.3% from the same period a year earlier. For 10 days of export results, it was the largest on record. A surge in semiconductor exports had a major impact.
The Korea Customs Service said on the 11th that exports from Dec. 1–10 totaled $20.6 billion, up 17.3% ($3.04 billion) from a year earlier.
By item, semiconductor exports jumped 45.9%, leading the overall increase in exports. The share of semiconductors in total exports also rose 5 percentage points to 25.6%. Petroleum products (23.1%) and wireless communication devices (25.1%) also increased, while passenger cars fell 5.7%.
By country, exports to China (12.9%), Vietnam (35.8%), the European Union (2.6%), and Taiwan (15.2%) increased. In contrast, exports to the United States fell 3.2%.
Meanwhile, imports during the same period rose 8% from a year earlier. Imports of semiconductors (20.8%) and semiconductor manufacturing equipment (13.3%) increased sharply. The trade balance posted a $70 million deficit.