August exports from Korea, buoyed by a semiconductor boom, stayed in the $90 billion range for a third straight month. In particular, semiconductor exports hit $46.7 billion, setting a new monthly all-time high.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources' report released on Sept. 1, "Import and export trends in August 2026," last month's exports rose 68.7% from a year earlier to $98.25 billion. Imports were $63.51 billion, up 22.5%.
The trade balance posted a surplus of $34.75 billion, topping $30 billion for a third consecutive month, and the cumulative trade surplus for January–August was $202.5 billion, up $162.2 billion from a year earlier. Average daily exports, adjusted for working days, also climbed 72.5% to $4.47 billion, surpassing $4 billion for a fourth straight month. In the ranking of all-time monthly export values, August placed third after June's $102.0 billion (No. 1) and July's $99.0 billion (No. 2).
By item, semiconductor exports surged 209.0% to $46.65 billion, setting a new monthly record. The increase reflects steady demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure driven by expanded capital spending by hyperscalers such as Google and Amazon.
Computer exports also jumped 419.5% to a record $6.24 billion on higher prices for NAND used in SSDs, and cosmetics (+52.1%) and biohealth (+22.3%) logged the best August performance on record. By contrast, automobiles fell 29.8% to $3.85 billion due to vacation timing shifts and strike effects, and ships dropped 45.9% to $1.69 billion on reduced deliveries.
By region, exports to China rose 119.3% to $24.1 billion, topping $20 billion for a third straight month, while exports to the United States ($16.5 billion, +89.3%) and ASEAN ($19.09 billion, +75.4%) also showed a high growth rate. Exports to the EU ($6.62 billion, +14.6%) remained positive for a ninth straight month, while exports to the Middle East slipped 15.0% to $1.19 billion on weak automobile sales.
Minister Kim Jung-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said, "While semiconductor exports remain strong, non-semiconductor items are also up 20%, widening the base of exports," adding, "We will closely review uncertainties in the trade environment, including U.S. tariff policy and the EU's steel tariff rate quota (TRQ)."