S Korea's August export volume keeps double-digit growth
SEOUL: South Korea's August export volume kept double-digit growth, driven by an unyielding global demand for semiconductors and computer storage devices, central bank data showed on Tuesday.
The export volume index surged 25.9% in August from a year earlier, accelerating from the 20.1% spike in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The index continued to go up for 10 straight months since November 2025.
In terms of volume, exports of computers, electronic and optical devices soared 30.5% on the back of surging demand for memory chips and solid-state drives (SSDs) used for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Backed by soaring chip prices, the export value index jumped 75.8% in August compared with the same month last year.
The import volume index gained 12.0% year-on-year in August, maintaining a steady momentum after a 14.7% expansion in July, while the import value index spiked 23.1%.
The higher inbound shipments were led by semiconductors, computers and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The net terms-of-trade index for goods, or the ratio of export prices to import prices, was up 27.1% in August on a yearly basis due to a faster increase in export prices than import prices.
It marked the steepest gain since the central bank began compiling the data in 1988.
By RSS/Xinhua
