(Busan=Yonhap News) Reporter Kang Sun-bae = Import and export cargo containers stacked at Sinseondae Pier in Busan Port in August. 2026.8.6 sbkang@yna.co.kr
According to Yonhap News,
(Sejong=Yonhap News) Reporter Ahn Chae-won = Exports in mid-September surpassed USD 70 billion, recording an all-time high for the same period. Driven by an almost 260 percent surge in semiconductor exports, the component's share of total exports neared 48 percent.
According to the Korea Customs Service on the 21st, export value from September 1st to 20th (provisional customs clearance basis) stood at USD 71.4 billion, an increase of 78.3 percent compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest figure ever recorded for the first 20 days of any month.
The previous record for the 1st through 20th period was set in June at USD 61.7 billion. Monthly exports in June exceeded USD 100 billion for the first time in history. However, with the Chuseok holiday scheduled for late this month, it remains to be seen whether the monthly export growth momentum will be sustained.
Working days during September 1st–20th totaled 15.5 days, one day fewer than the same period last year. Factoring this in, daily average exports stood at USD 4.61 billion, up 89.8 percent.
By product category, semiconductor exports surged 259.4 percent to USD 34.12 billion, setting a record high for the 1st through 20th period. The share of semiconductors within total exports expanded by 24.1 percentage points year-on-year to 47.8 percent, also marking an all-time high for the period. Petroleum products (47.8 percent) and passenger vehicles (9.3 percent) increased as well, while wireless communication devices (-0.4 percent) contracted slightly.
By destination, exports to major trade partners expanded evenly: China (113.8 percent), the United States (118.0 percent), Vietnam (44.8 percent), Taiwan (128.5 percent), and the European Union (37.0 percent). The export share for the top three destinations—China, the United States, and Vietnam—reached 51.4 percent.
Imports totaled USD 48.44 billion, up 26.7 percent. By item, imports of semiconductors (88.8 percent), crude oil (37.3 percent), and semiconductor manufacturing equipment (55.6 percent) increased, whereas petroleum products (-24.8 percent) declined. Energy imports (crude oil, gas, and coal) rose by 27.9 percent. By country, imports increased from China (48.7 percent), the European Union (16.7 percent), the United States (29.5 percent), and Japan (31.6 percent), while declining from Australia (-13.7 percent).
As exports outpaced imports, the trade balance recorded a surplus of USD 23.0 billion, setting an all-time record for the September 1st–20th period.
chaewon@yna.co.kr
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Source Text
Source: Yonhap News (September 21, 2026)
** This article was translated from Korean.