South Korea Export Prices Rise at Faster Pace in April

South Korea’s export prices surged 40.8% year-on-year in April 2026, accelerating from a 29.5% increase in March, reflecting intensifying price pressures across the country’s external sector. The increase was mainly driven by manufactured goods, which rose 40.9%, with computers, electronic and optical equipment surging 88.7%, standing out as the key contributor to overall gains. Additional support came from coal and petroleum products (101.8%), basic metals (24.8%) and chemical products (21.9%), highlighting broad-based strength across major industrial export categories. Prices for agricultural, forestry and marine products also increased 28.5%

South Korea’s export prices rose 28.7% year-on-year in March 2026, following an 11.1% increase in February (previously 10.7%), reflecting broad-based inflationary pressures across trade flows amid surging oil prices. The increase was mainly driven by manufactured goods (28.7%), with particular strength in computers and electronic equipment (61.6%), which stood out as the key contributor to overall gains. Additional support came from basic metals (19.5%) and chemical products (7.1%), reflecting broad-based strength across core industrial export sectors. Prices for agricultural, forestry and marine products (15.7%) also contributed positively, though to a lesser extent compared to high-value manufacturing.

South Korea’s export prices rose 10.7% from a year earlier in February 2026, following a downwardly revised 7.8% increase in January and marking the sharpest rise since June 2024. The increase was largely driven by a 10.7% rise in manufactured goods prices, following a 7.8% increase the previous month. Prices for agricultural, forestry and marine products climbed 11.9% from 6.4% in January. Exports to the US continued to be affected by a 15% tariff, though overall export volumes still increased 16.6% from a year earlier. On a month-on-month basis, export prices rose 2.1%, accelerating from a 4.0% gain in January.