According to data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS) released on Monday, exports during the period from the first day of April to last Friday totaled US$25.21 billion, up 36.7 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record for the same period, set just a month earlier at $21.70 billion.
Average daily outbound shipments rose 36.7 percent to $2.97 billion.
By product, semiconductor chips surged 152.5 percent from a year earlier to $8.57 billion, the highest amount ever recorded for the period and well above last month’s record of $7.6 billion, accounting for 34 percent of total exports, up 15.6 percentage points from a year earlier.
Exports of computer peripherals rose 134.9 percent, petroleum products 38.6 percent, and ships 26.6 percent, while home appliances fell 26 percent and passenger cars declined 6.7 percent.
By destination, exports to China climbed 63.8 percent to US$5.73 billion, while shipments to Taiwan rose 68.3 percent. Exports to the U.S. and Viet Nam also increased 24 percent and 66.6 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, imports rose 12.7 percent to $22.11 billion. Semiconductor imports increased 29.7 percent, crude oil 8.7 percent and semiconductor manufacturing equipment 77.9 percent, while machinery imports fell 7.4 percent.
Total energy imports including crude oil, gas and coal rose 13.1 percent, which the KCS attributed to rising global energy prices due to the Middle East conflict.
Imports increased from China by 13.6 percent, the U.S. by 39.3 percent, the European Union by 38.0 percent and Taiwan by 24.6 percent.
With exports exceeding imports, the trade balance recorded a surplus of $3.10 billion
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