South Korea exports surge 83% in early Sept. on chip demand

South Korea's exports experienced a significant surge of nearly 83% year-on-year in the first 10 days of September, reaching a record high for the period. This growth was largely propelled by a substantial increase in semiconductor shipments, which soared by 270% amid a global boom in artificial intelligence. Outbound shipments for the Sept. 1-10 period totaled $35 billion, according to data from the Korea Customs Service.

Imports also saw a rise of 20.7% to $24.6 billion during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of $10.4 billion. Beyond semiconductors, petroleum product exports grew by 57%, automobile exports by 10%, ship exports by 66.8%, and steel product exports by 10.3%.

Geographically, exports to China doubled to $7.95 billion, while shipments to the United States increased by 137.5% to $7 billion. Cumulatively, South Korea's total exports from January 1 through September 10 reached $728.5 billion, marking a 54.1% increase from the previous year. The nation's trade surplus for 2026 to date stands at $212.9 billion.