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3d ago

South Korea Tops $700 Billion in Annual Exports for the First Time

Officials cite a chip-driven rebound as the catalyst for the record.

Cranes and shipping containers are seen at Pyeongtaek port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Containers are stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 14, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Government data show the threshold was crossed at 1:03 p.m. Monday, making South Korea the sixth nation to reach the mark after the United States, Germany, China, Japan and the Netherlands.
  • From June through November, exports set six straight monthly records, with September hitting an all-time high of $65.9 billion as semiconductor demand for AI servers lifted shipments.
  • Chips led the surge with $152.6 billion in exports in January-November, or 23.8% of the total, while automobiles reached $66.0 billion, ships $29.0 billion and biohealth $14.7 billion.
  • The export mix broadened as the shares to the U.S. and China fell, while deliveries to ASEAN members, the European Union and Latin America increased.
  • Officials reported record SME export participation through September, a year-to-date trade surplus of $73.0 billion and FDI notifications above $35 billion, and they set targets to repeat $700 billion in exports and exceed $35 billion in FDI next year through manufacturing innovation, market diversification and regional incentives.