(Samsung Electronics)
South Korea’s exports gained nearly 38 percent in the first quarter of 2026, reaching an all-time high, driven by strong demand for semiconductors, data showed on Wednesday.
According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources, the country’s outbound shipments from January to March rose 37.8 percent on year to $219.9 billion, setting a new all-time record and surpassing the previous high of $173.4 billion in 2022.
Semiconductor exports led overall growth, surging 139 percent to $78.5 billion on the back of expanding artificial intelligence (AI) server investment and rising memory chip prices.
In particular, DRAM exports jumped 249.1 percent to $35.79 billion, while NAND exports soared 377.5 percent to $5.39 billion. System semiconductor exports also increased 13.5 percent to $12.11 billion.
Cosmetics exports also climbed 21.5 percent to $3.13 billion, while exports of agricultural and fisheries food products rose 7.4 percent to $3.11 billion.
Exports of bio-health products gained 9.6 percent to $4.2 billion, textile products rose 7.1 percent to $1 billion, and secondary batteries advanced 9.9 percent to $1.96 billion.
Automobile exports, on the other hand, edged down 0.3 percent to $17.2 billion, as sluggish passenger vehicle sales offset strong truck exports.
In international rankings, Korea’s momentum also stood out.
According to World Trade Organization standards for January-February, Korea ranked fifth globally in exports and posted the highest growth rate among the top seven operating countries.
Speculation is growing that Korea may surpass Japan in overall first-quarter rankings once March data are included.
“If we calculate Japan’s exports by converting the figures released by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry into dollars, the total comes to roughly $189.5 billion, leaving a gap of about $30 billion with ours,” said a ministry official. “However, the exact figure must be confirmed through WTO data.”
For this trend report, the ministry applied the revised Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) code, an export-import statistical classification system which was updated for the first time in six years.
Reflecting the diversification of export items, the number of key export categories was expanded from the previous “15 major items” to “20 major items,” newly adding cosmetics, agricultural and fisheries food products, and nonferrous metals.
The government, while expecting the current strong export momentum to continue for the time being, plans to remain vigilant about external risks.
“Semiconductor prices are expected to remain high, so exports in May are also likely to remain strong,” said Na Sung-hwa, a ministry official. “However, the Middle East conflict is an increasingly important variable, and it could pose obstacles in various respects.”
Regarding internal risks such as labor-management conflicts, the official said that “while the Middle East war is an external variable on a broader level, labor-management disputes are an internal variable.”
댓글
0