S. Korea's Exports Up 21.6 Pct In First 20 Days Of September

South Korea's exports shot up 21.6 percent on-year during the first 20 days of September, due to a rise in outbound shipments of chips and petrochemical goods, customs data showed

SEJONG, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :South Korea's exports shot up 21.6 percent on-year during the first 20 days of September, due to a rise in outbound shipments of chips and petrochemical goods, customs data showed.

The country's outbound shipments reached US$36.5 billion in the September 1-20 period, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

The customs office said daily average exports, which reflect working days, also grew 21.6 percent on-year to $2.35 billion.

By product, shipments of semiconductors surged 35.7 percent, petrochemical goods leapt 49.3 percent and auto exports jumped 9.7 percent.

However, exports of ships and wireless telecommunication devices plunged 9.2 percent and 21.2 percent, respectively, the latest findings showed.

In the first 20 days of the month, the country's imports moved up 14 percent on-year to reach $30.1 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $6.37 billion, the KCS said.

The country's exports increased 8.7 percent in August compared with a year ago on upbeat sales of semiconductors and petrochemical products.

Outbound shipments reached $51.2 billion last month, a record high for August, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Imports surged 9.2 percent on-year to $44.3 billion last month for a trade surplus of $6.9 billion, making August the 79th consecutive month in which the country's exports have exceeded imports, the ministry said.