South Korea Trade Surplus Beats Estimates

2026-09-01 00:08 By Chusnul Chotimah 1 min. read

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.



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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
South Korea Trade Surplus Beats Estimates
South Korea’s trade surplus surged to USD 30.32 billion in July 2026, up from USD 6.61 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations of USD 29.59 billion and marking the 18th consecutive month of surplus as exports continue to outpace imports, flash data showed. Exports soared 62.8% year-on-year to USD 98.89 billion, easing from a downwardly revised 70.7% surge in June and marking the second-highest figure on record after sales exceeded USD 100 billion for the first time in June, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor shipments, which rose for the 14th consecutive month, driven by strong demand for memory chips, with semiconductor exports jumping 178.8% to a record USD 41.01 billion, surpassing USD 40 billion for the second month. Meanwhile, imports climbed 26.5% year-on-year to a record high of USD 68.56 billion, slowing from a downwardly revised 30.0% growth in June, supported by resilient domestic demand and a rebound in industrial activity.
2026-08-01
South Korea Posts Record Trade Surplus
South Korea’s trade surplus soared to USD 36.15 billion in June 2026, up from USD 9.08 billion in the same month a year earlier, marking the 17th consecutive month in surplus and the largest trade surplus on record, flash data showed. Exports jumped 70.9% year-on-year to a record high of USD 102.25 billion, accelerating sharply from an upwardly revised 53.4% surge in May, and exceeding USD 100 billion for the first time, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor exports. Shipments rose for the 13th straight month, with semiconductor exports soaring 199.5% to a record USD 44.82 billion, surpassing USD 40 billion for the first time, driven by strong demand for memory chips. Meanwhile, imports grew 30.1% yoy to a record peak of USD 66.10 billion, accelerating from a downwardly revised 20.7% increase in May and marking the fastest pace since May 2022, supported by resilient domestic demand.
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