South Korea Exports Rise for 5th Month

2025-11-01 00:11 By Chusnul Chotimah 1 min. read

Exports from South Korea rose 3.6% yoy to USD 59.57 billion in October 2025, slowing from a 12.7% surge in September, partly due to the Chuseok holiday, which resulted in fewer working days, preliminary data showed.

It marked the fifth consecutive month of export growth, driven by robust demand for semiconductors—the country’s top export item—which jumped 25.4% yoy to USD 15.73 billion, the highest value for any October.

Exports of ships also jumped 131.2%, while shipments of petrochemicals rose 12.7%.

Exports surged to Latin America (99%), Taiwan (46%), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which includes Russia (34.4%).

However, shipments to the US plunged 16.2%, reflecting the impact of the new tariffs.

On Wednesday, South Korea and the US announced that they will reduce reciprocal tariffs from 25% to 15%, as agreed last July.

Meanwhile, tariffs on automobiles and auto parts will remain at 25%.

Also, exports to China, South Korea’s largest trading partner, fell by 5.1%.



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