Exports from Aug. 1–20 totaled $52.2 billion, the highest ever for the same period. Semiconductor exports, which grew by nearly 200%, drove the overall performance.
According to the "export and import trends for Aug. 1–20 (preliminary)" that the Korea Customs Service released on the 21st, exports on the 1st–20th were tallied at $52.2 billion, up 56% from a year earlier.
In particular, the growth in semiconductor exports stood out. Semiconductor exports rose 198.8% to $26.0 billion, also the highest on record for the same period. Semiconductors accounted for 47.2% of total exports, up 22.5 percentage points (p) from a year earlier. In addition, petroleum products (56.4%) and computer peripherals (242.1%) increased.
By country, exports increased to China (118.6%), the United States (59.4%), Vietnam (67.4%) and Hong Kong (245.5%). The export share of the top three—China, the United States and Vietnam—was 52.6%.
Meanwhile, imports from Aug. 1–20 were $41.2 billion, up 19%. Imports surged in semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The trade balance, exports minus imports, posted a surplus of $14.0 billion.