Exports during the mid-September period (1st–20th) rose 78.3% year-on-year, driven by a boom in semiconductor shipments that set a record high for all-time exports.
According to the Korea Customs Service's "Export and Import Status Report for the 1st–20, 2026," released on the 21st, export value during this period totaled $71.4 billion, marking a 78.3% increase compared to the same period last year.
This represents the highest export performance ever recorded as of mid-September, surpassing the previous record set in June ($61.7 billion) after just three months.
The average daily export value, adjusted for working days, reached $4.61 billion, up 89.8% from $2.43 billion during the same period last year.
By product category, semiconductor exports amounted to $34.1 billion, surging 259.4% year-on-year and continuing their strong momentum. This also marks a record high for mid-September. The share of semiconductors in total exports rose to 47.8%, an increase of 24.1 percentage points from one year ago.
Other categories with increased exports included petroleum products (47.8%) and passenger cars (9.3%), while wireless communication device exports declined by 0.4% compared to the previous year.
By country, exports rose to China (113.8%), the United States (118.0%), Taiwan (128.5%), Japan (33.5%), and Malaysia (173.9%). Exports to South Korea's top three trading partners—China, the United States, and Vietnam—accounted for 51.4% of total exports.
Imports from the 1st to the 20th of this month increased by 26.7% year-on-year to $48.4 billion. Imports rose in categories such as semiconductors (88.8%), crude oil (37.3%), and semiconductor manufacturing equipment (55.6%). In contrast, imports of petroleum products fell by 24.8%.
By country, imports increased from China (48.7%), the United States (29.5%), the European Union (16.7%), and Japan (31.6%). With exports exceeding imports, the trade balance for the period from the 1st to the 20th of this month recorded a surplus of $23 billion.
in ECONOMY
