South Korea’s early October exports double as chip shipments surge
South Korea’s exports in October’s first ten days rose 102% from a year earlier to $26.1 billion, with semiconductor shipments up 170.9%. Imports also accelerated, but the period ended with a trade surplus of about $3.8 billion. The customs figures cover only the opening ten days of October, so they do not establish a full-month result.
Economics & Markets··Evening
Exports reach $26.1 billion in ten days
Korea Customs Service figures released on October 12 put exports for October 1–10 at $26.104 billion, up 102% from the same period a year earlier. The amount set a record for the first ten days of October. The customs figures also put a $4.75 billion average for each working day, 28.5% above the year-earlier level. These customs figures describe only the opening ten days, rather than a finished month of exports.[1], [2]
The previous record for October’s first ten days was set in 2025. A working-day average and an unadjusted ten-day total are different measures, and their year-on-year growth rates differ. Both rose substantially in the customs release. The figures describe shipments already recorded, while the remainder of October has yet to enter the monthly result.[1]
Semiconductor shipments lead the gains
Semiconductor shipments rose 170.9% to $12.1 billion, accounting for a substantial part of the ten-day export total. Petroleum-product exports increased 45.6%, car shipments 82.7%, and steel exports 49.4%. Ship exports went the other way, falling 13.4%. The overall rise therefore covered several major product groups, although the customs release also recorded a decline in one sizeable category.[1]
Shipments to China rose 167% to $7.59 billion and exports to the United States increased 159.9% to $3.65 billion. Vietnam-bound exports also gained 89.7%. The destination figures show where the early-October rise occurred alongside the semiconductor surge. They measure goods shipped in the reported interval and do not project the pace for the rest of the month.[1]
Imports rise while the period stays in surplus
Imports increased 65.5% year on year to about $22.3 billion. Exports exceeded imports by roughly $3.8 billion, leaving a trade surplus for October’s first ten days. Import growth was also strong, so the high export total describes only one part of the trade account. The reported surplus belongs to the ten-day window, not to the completed October balance.[1], [2]
The customs service’s early reading offers a view of shipments at the start of the month, while later exports and imports will determine the monthly totals. The $26.1 billion export figure and $3.8 billion surplus are two measures of that same short interval. Shipments during the rest of October are not included in these totals.[1]
