South Korea Balance of Trade

South Korea's trade surplus increased to USD 6.51 billion in August 2025, up from USD 3.77 billion in the same month a year earlier, and surpassed market expectations of USD 5.4 billion, as exports grew while imports fell, preliminary data showed. Exports rose 1.3% year-on-year, below market expectations of 3% growth and easing from a downwardly revised 5.8% rise in the previous month, partly due to the impact of US tariffs, with shipments to the US falling 12% year-on-year. This marked the third consecutive month of export growth, though it was the softest pace in the sequence, mainly driven by robust semiconductor shipments. Semiconductor exports — the country’s main export item — soared 27.1% yoy to a record peak of USD 15.1 billion. Meanwhile, imports fell 4.0% in August, reversing a 0.7% gain in July and falling short of market expectations for a 0.1% drop. Energy imports fell 12.2% from a year earlier, while non-energy imports declined by 1.5%.