South Korea's exports in October increased by 93.7% year-on-year, with a significant rise in chip exports

According to a report by Nikkei Asia citing Reuters, data released by the South Korean government on Sunday showed that South Korea's exports in October rose by 93.7% year-on-year to $115.28 billion, slightly above the median expectation of 93.2% from a Reuters survey of economists. This increase surpassed September's 83.7%, marking the largest rise since January 1974, also influenced by the timing difference of the Mid-Autumn Festival, resulting in more working days compared to the same period last year.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Sung-wook stated that October's exports continued to maintain growth above $110 billion, with exports expected to reach $1 trillion within November this year. From January to October, total exports amounted to $930 billion. An annual export exceeding $1 trillion would make South Korea the fourth country to reach that scale after the United States, China, and Germany.

The Ministry of Trade reported that semiconductor overseas sales surged by 259.4% year-on-year to $56.44 billion, with prices and shipment volumes remaining high, related to ongoing facility investments by major global tech companies competing for leadership in the artificial intelligence industry. Computer sales increased by 496.6% due to rising demand for servers for AI services. Exports to China increased by 133.6%, to the United States by 185.8%, to Europe by 56.4%, and to Southeast Asia by 128.0%. Imports rose by 36.0% year-on-year to $72.78 billion, resulting in a monthly trade surplus of $42.50 billion.