South Korea September exports rise 83.5% y/y to monthly record

A woman looks at cranes and shipping containers from an observation platform at Pyeongtaek port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

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SEOUL, Oct 1 : South Korea's exports jumped 83.5 per cent in September from a year earlier to post a record monthly high, customs data showed on Thursday. Semiconductor shipments, fuelled by global spending on artificial intelligence, also set a record.

Data released by the customs office on Thursday showed outbound shipments outstripped market expectations of a 62.0 per cent increase, marking the country’s 16th consecutive month of export growth.

Average exports per working day jumped by 104.9 per cent compared to the previous year.

The surging growth was anchored by a historic peak in semiconductor shipments, which continue to serve as the backbone of the global AI infrastructure build-out.

Imports climbed 26.0 per cent year-on-year, outpacing the 21.5 per cent forecast. This resulted in a provisional trade surplus of $49.85 billion, up from $34.79 billion in August.

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