South Korea's exports grew 6.8 percent year-on-year to $43 billion in the first 20 days of December, driven by strong global demand for semiconductors. This marks an all-time high for the period, surpassing last year's record. While car and petroleum shipments declined, the trade surplus expanded to $3.8 billion.
South Korea's exports reached $43 billion in the December 1-20 period, up 6.8 percent from the same timeframe last year, according to data from the Korea Customs Service released on Monday. This figure sets a new record for the period, exceeding the previous high from 2024. The growth persisted despite U.S. tariff measures, fueled primarily by robust global demand for semiconductors, the agency noted.
Semiconductor exports surged 41.8 percent year-on-year to $11.65 billion, comprising 27.1 percent of total exports. In contrast, car shipments fell 12.7 percent to $3.25 billion, and petroleum exports dipped 1 percent to $2.63 billion.
By destination, exports to China increased 6.5 percent to $8.58 billion, while those to the United States declined 1.7 percent to $7.87 billion. Shipments to the European Union dropped 14 percent to $3.71 billion.
Imports rose a modest 0.7 percent to $39.2 billion, yielding a trade surplus of $3.8 billion. In November, exports had grown 8.4 percent to $61 billion, marking the sixth straight month of gains on semiconductor strength. This trend underscores South Korea's resilience in high-tech sectors amid varying global pressures.
