South Korea's August 1-20 Chip Exports Hit Record $26 Billion as Total Exports Jump 56%
Updated
Updated · asiae.co.kr · Aug 21
South Korea's August 1-20 Chip Exports Hit Record $26 Billion as Total Exports Jump 56%
3 articles · Updated · asiae.co.kr · Aug 21
Summary
$26.032 billion in semiconductor exports from Aug. 1-20 set a new all-time high, lifting South Korea's total exports to a record $55.2 billion for the period.
Semiconductors drove the surge, accounting for 47.2% of all exports—up 22.5 percentage points from a year earlier—while daily average exports rose 61.5% despite 0.5 fewer working days.
China-bound shipments climbed 118.6%, U.S. exports rose 59.4%, and sales to Hong Kong and Malaysia more than tripled; passenger car and ship exports fell 45.1% and 60.5%.
Imports increased 19.0% to $41.2 billion, with gains in semiconductors, chipmaking equipment and crude oil, but export growth far outpaced that, producing a $14.0 billion trade surplus.
The August momentum pushed South Korea's cumulative trade surplus this year to $181.735 billion, underscoring how heavily the export rebound is tied to chips.