According to Yonhap News,

(SEOUL=Yonhap News) South Korea topped China's import market last year thanks to strong demand for its semiconductors, auto parts and computer-related equipment, industry data showed Tuesday.

According to the data provided by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), China imported US$1.96 trillion worth of products last year, of which South Korean goods came to $190.3 billion.

That represented a 9.7 percent of China's total imports last year, up from the previous year's 9.2 percent. South Korea kept its top status in terms of market share in China for the second straight year.

Japan came next with $162.7 billion or 8.3 percent, followed by the United States with $153.1 billion, Taiwan with $152.3 billion and Germany with $104.8 billion, the data showed.

More demand for semiconductors and auto parts contributed to the rise in South Korea's market share in China.

China imported $50.1 billion worth of semiconductors from South Korea, up 10.8 percent from a year earlier, while buying $3.9 billion worth of Korean auto parts, a 16.6 percent increase from a year before. China's imports of computer-related equipment from South Korea jumped 76.3 percent on-year to $3.1 billion, the data showed.

kokobj@yna.co.kr

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