SEOUL, Oct 21 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea’s export logged a double-digit growth in the first 20 days of Oct, owing to the global demand recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, customs office data showed today.
The outbound shipment reached 34.2 billion U.S. dollars in the Oct 1-20 period, up 36.1 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. Import jumped 48.0 percent to 36.7 billion dollars, sending the trade deficit to 2.5 billion dollars.
Semiconductor export advanced 23.9 percent in the 20-day period, and oil products shipment more than doubled amid a higher price for crude oil.
Automotive export expanded 10.5 percent and mobile devices shipment added 2.6 percent.
Shipment to China, S Korea’s biggest trading partner, spiked 30.9 percent in the cited period, and those to the U.S., European Union, Vietnam and Japan increased in double figures.
Meanwhile, crude oil import almost doubled in the 20-day period, while oil products import more than quadrupled.
Semiconductor import went up 20.3 percent, but automotive import declined 8.8 percent in the period.– NNN-YONHAP
