South Korea’s trade surplus widened sharply to USD 42.50 billion in October 2026, up from USD 6.00 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations of USD 37.24 billion and marking the 21st consecutive month of surplus, flash data showed. It was the second-largest trade surplus on record, as exports continued to outpace imports. Exports surged 93.7% yoy, accelerating from an 83.7% increase in September, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor shipments. Semiconductor exports surged 259.4% to USD 56.4 billion, driven by persistently strong global demand related to AI investment. Shipments to China surged 133.6%, while those to the US jumped 185.8%. Meanwhile, imports jumped 36% year-on-year, accelerating from a 26% rise in September, supported by resilient domestic demand. For the first ten months of the year, the trade surplus reached USD 294.9 billion, with exports totaling USD 930 billion, bringing the country close to its USD 1 trillion annual target. source: Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE)

South Korea recorded a trade surplus of 49971.92 USD Million in September of 2026. Balance of Trade in South Korea averaged 1574.67 USD Million from 1966 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 49971.92 USD Million in September of 2026 and a record low of -12698.11 USD Million in January of 2023. This page provides the latest reported value for - South Korea Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. South Korea Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on November of 2026.

South Korea recorded a trade surplus of 49971.92 USD Million in September of 2026. Balance of Trade in South Korea is expected to be 54000.00 USD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Korea Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 65000.00 USD Million in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-10-01 12:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Sep $49.85B $34.79B $38.2B $ 47.4B
2026-11-01 12:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Oct $42.50B $49.97B $37.24B $50.2B
2026-12-01 12:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Nov $42.50B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 42500.00 49971.92 USD Million Oct 2026
Exports 115280.00 121050.08 USD Million Oct 2026
Exports YoY 93.70 83.70 percent Oct 2026
Imports 72780.00 71078.17 USD Million Oct 2026
Imports YoY 36.00 26.00 percent Oct 2026
Semiconductor Exports 43600.91 38608.49 USD million Sep 2026


South Korea Balance of Trade
South Korea is heavily dependent on international trade with the biggest trading partners including China, the US and Japan. The country has been recording consistent trade surpluses since 2008 with the exception of 2022 when the war in Ukraine increased substantially the bill for imports of oil and food.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
42500.00 49971.92 49971.92 -12698.11 1966 - 2026 USD Million Monthly

News Stream
South Korea Trade Surplus Beats Estimates
South Korea’s trade surplus widened sharply to USD 42.50 billion in October 2026, up from USD 6.00 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations of USD 37.24 billion and marking the 21st consecutive month of surplus, flash data showed. It was the second-largest trade surplus on record, as exports continued to outpace imports. Exports surged 93.7% yoy, accelerating from an 83.7% increase in September, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor shipments. Semiconductor exports surged 259.4% to USD 56.4 billion, driven by persistently strong global demand related to AI investment. Shipments to China surged 133.6%, while those to the US jumped 185.8%. Meanwhile, imports jumped 36% year-on-year, accelerating from a 26% rise in September, supported by resilient domestic demand. For the first ten months of the year, the trade surplus reached USD 294.9 billion, with exports totaling USD 930 billion, bringing the country close to its USD 1 trillion annual target.
2026-11-01
South Korea Posts Record Trade Surplus
South Korea’s trade surplus widened sharply to a record high of USD 49.85 billion in September 2026, up from USD 9.48 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations of USD 38.2 billion and marking the 20th consecutive month of surplus, as exports continued to outpace imports, flash data showed. Exports jumped 83.5% yoy to USD 120.9 billion, accelerating from a 68.7% surge in August, marking the fastest increase since February 1974, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor shipments. Exports rose for the 16th consecutive month, reaching a record monthly high after exceeding USD 100 billion for the first time in June. Shipments to China jumped 123%, driven by strong demand for semiconductors and wireless communication equipment, while shipments to the US surged 137%, supported by growth in chip and petrochemical exports. Meanwhile, imports grew 26% yoy, accelerating from a downwardly revised 22.4% growth in August, supported by resilient domestic demand.
2026-10-01
South Korea Trade Surplus Beats Estimates
South Korea’s trade surplus widened to USD 34.75 billion in August 2026, up from USD 6.40 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations of USD 30.7 billion and marking the 19th consecutive month of surplus as exports continued to outpace imports, flash data showed. Exports surged 68.7% year-on-year to USD 98.25 billion, accelerating from an upwardly revised 63% jump in July, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor shipments, which rose for the 15th consecutive month. Semiconductor shipments soared 209.0% year-on-year to a fresh record high of USD 46.65 billion, surpassing USD 40 billion for the third consecutive month. Shipments to China jumped 119.3%, boosted by strong demand for semiconductors and general machinery, while those to the US soared 89.3%, supported by export growth in semiconductors and computers. Meanwhile, imports rose 22.5% year-on-year to USD 63.51 billion, easing from 26.5% growth in July, supported by resilient domestic demand.
2026-09-01