Korea’s Exports Soar

Korea’s Exports Soar, Backed by the Global Expansion of AI Infrastructure

Recording all-time high of $ 85.9 billion

 Driven by the global expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, Korea’s exports have broken all-time records for the month of April.
The nation’s exports in April recorded $85.89 billion, a 48.0% increase compared to the same month last year. Imports rose by 16.7% to $62.11 billion, resulting in a surplus of $23.77 billion in trade balance. With this, Korea set a record by surpassing $80 billion in exports and $20 billion in trade balance for the first time in history.

The undisputed star contributor was semiconductors. As global investment in AI infrastructure expanded, massive demand emerged for both NAND and DRAM, causing semiconductor exports to surge by a staggering 173.5% year-on-year to reach $31.9 billion. This marks the highest monthly record for the 13th consecutive month. The computer (SSD) sector also showed growth, increasing by 515.8% due to an explosion in demand for data centers driven by the spread of AI.
On the other hand, the automobile sector declined by 5.5% due to disruptions in maritime logistics caused by the war in the Middle East and the impact of expanded local production, while the eco-friendly vehicle sector maintained its growth.
Looking at the landscape of major exports, seven out of nine regions showed consistent positive growth. In particular, exports to China, the largest market, recorded $17.7 billion, a 62.5% increase driven by strong performance in IT items such as semiconductors, continuing a favorable trend for six consecutive months. Exports to the United States also surged by 54.0% to $16.3 billion. Meanwhile, exports to the Middle East plummeted by 25.1% as most items declined due to disruptions in port operations caused by the ongoing war.
Imports rose overall, driven by a combination of soaring international oil prices due to instability in the Middle East and increased demand for semiconductor equipment.

 
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