Exports for June 1–10 came to $28.6 billion. It was the largest ever for the 1–10 day period compared with other months. Explosive growth of more than 200% in semiconductor exports led the overall performance.
According to the "June 1–10 import and export status" that the Korea Customs Service released on the 11th, exports on the 1st to 10th were tallied at $28.635 billion, up 85.9% from a year earlier. The previous record was $25.2 billion in April this year.
Semiconductor performance, in particular, stood out. Semiconductor exports jumped 205.8% to $11.068 billion, also the largest on record for the same period. Semiconductors accounted for 38.7% of total exports, up 15.1 percentage points (p) from a year earlier. Exports of computer peripherals (259.4%), petroleum products (68.7%), and ships (52.0%) were also strong.
By country, exports increased to Taiwan (134.0%), China (101.4%), Vietnam (102.9%), the United States (54.4%), and the European Union (46.0%). The combined export share of the top three—China, the United States, and Vietnam—was 47.3%.
Meanwhile, imports for June 1–10 rose 35.6% to $23.352 billion. Imports surged in semiconductors (71.3%), semiconductor manufacturing equipment (52.2%), crude oil (42.9%), and machinery (21.2%), and energy imports such as crude oil, gas, and coal also increased 39.9%. The trade balance, exports minus imports, posted a surplus of $5.282 billion.