In the second quarter of this year, exports continued to rise, driven by the semiconductor sector, with the trade concentration of the top 10 exporting companies exceeding 55%, indicating a deepening trend of concentration among large enterprises.
According to the '2026 Q2 Trade Statistics by Company Characteristics (Provisional)' released by the National Data Agency and the Korea Customs Service on August 21, the trade concentration of the top 10 exporting companies was recorded at 55.3%. This marks a 17.0 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year, the highest figure since the statistics began.
The trade concentration among the top 100 companies also rose to 76.3%, up 10.0 percentage points from a year ago, further highlighting the trend of export concentration among large firms.
In Q2, total exports reached $275.5 billion, a 57.3% increase from the previous year, while the number of exporting companies rose by 2.0% to 69,906.
By company size, exports increased across large, medium, and small enterprises, but the growth gap was significant. Exports from large companies surged by 81.8% year-on-year, while medium-sized companies saw a 10.9% increase, and small businesses experienced a 13.1% rise.
Large companies' exports were driven by capital goods and raw materials, including information and communication technology (ICT) components and products, as well as minerals.
By industry, the mining and manufacturing sector saw a notable increase of 64.9%. The semiconductor boom led to a 109.8% rise in the electrical and electronics sector, while exports of refined petroleum and chemical products also performed well. Additionally, the retail sector grew by 14.3%, and other industries saw a slight increase of 0.1%.
There was a significant disparity in trade volume based on company size. For Q2, exports from companies with 250 or more employees increased by 67.4% compared to the previous year. In contrast, companies with 10 to 249 employees and those with 1 to 9 employees saw increases of only 19.3% and 8.5%, respectively.
Regionally, exports increased primarily to Southeast Asia, China, and the United States. Exports to the U.S. rose by 64.3% year-on-year across large, medium, and small enterprises. Exports to China increased by 78.2%, driven by large and small companies. Southeast Asia also saw a balanced increase across all company sizes, rising by 85.1% compared to the previous year.
From April to June, imports totaled $189.9 billion, a 22.4% increase, with the number of importing companies rising by 3.5% to 161,277.
Large companies increased imports of raw materials, capital goods, and consumer goods by 27.2%. Medium-sized companies saw a 19.0% increase, primarily in capital goods and raw materials, while small businesses experienced a 13.9% rise across all categories.
The increase in imports was particularly pronounced in the mining and manufacturing sector, which grew by 25.9% year-on-year, driven by electrical and electronics and petrochemical products. The retail sector increased by 17.7%, and other industries saw a 13.5% rise.
By company size, imports from companies with 250 or more employees rose by 26.8% compared to the same period last year, while those with 10 to 249 employees and 1 to 9 employees increased by 12.6% and 15.8%, respectively.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.