South Korea Exports Jump Nearly 83% in Early September on AI Chip Demand
South Korea's Sept. 1-10 exports rose nearly 83% to $35 billion, led by a 270% jump in chip shipments on AI demand.
The customs agency said the Sept. 1-10 total was the highest on record for that period. Imports rose 20.7 percent on-year to $24.6 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $10.4 billion.
Semiconductors led the gains, climbing 270 percent to $16.5 billion and also setting a record for the period. Exports of petroleum products rose 57 percent to $1.87 billion, while automobile exports increased 10 percent to $1.7 billion. Ship exports jumped 66.8 percent, and steel product exports rose 10.3 percent.
By destination, exports to China doubled to $7.95 billion, and shipments to the United States rose 137.5 percent to $7 billion.
From Jan. 1 through Thursday, South Korea's total exports reached $728.5 billion, up 54.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the customs data. The trade surplus for 2026 stood at $212.9 billion.
An earlier Yonhap report put the export increase at 83 percent, while the later report describing the semiconductor-led gains said exports rose nearly 83 percent.