Exports from April 1 to 10 totaled $25.2 billion. The record for "all-time high" for the first third of a month was broken again after one month. Semiconductor exports drove the performance.
According to the "Export and import trends for April 1–10" that the tariff office released on the 13th, exports from the 1st to the 10th were tallied at $25.211 billion, up 36.7% from a year earlier. The first 10 days of last month also set an all-time high for exports, and April exceeded that.
Semiconductors led the overall results. Semiconductor exports rose 152.5% to $8.573 billion. This is also the highest for the same period on record. In addition, exports of petroleum products (38.6%) and ships (26.6%) were strong, while exports of passenger cars (-6.7%) and auto parts (-7.3%) fell. The share of semiconductor exports was 34%, up 15.6 percentage points (p).
By country, exports increased to China (63.8%), the United States (24.0%), Vietnam (66.6%), the European Union (8.4%), and Taiwan (68.3%).
Meanwhile, imports from April 1 to 10 rose 12.7% to $22.112 billion. Imports increased sharply for semiconductors (29.7%), crude oil (8.7%), and semiconductor manufacturing equipment (77.9%), and energy imports such as crude oil, gas, and coal also grew 13.1%. The trade balance, exports minus imports, was $3.099 billion.
Although the "Middle East war" continues, Korea's recent exports remain solid thanks to the semiconductor boom. Last month's exports jumped 48.3% to $86.13 billion, marking the highest monthly performance on record.