US EditionSouth Korea Dec exports beat forecasts, wraps 2025 at a record
Semiconductor exports hit $173.4 billion, rising over 20% as AI demand drives growth, while auto shipments reach a record $72 billion, Seoul's industry ministry reported.
- On Thursday, Seoul's industry ministry reported South Korea's 2025 exports topped over $72 billion, setting a record annual high.
- Soaring AI demand pushed semiconductor exports to $173.4 billion last year, a record increase of more than 20 percent with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix supplying key memory chips for AI data centres.
- Car exports rose to $72 billion in 2025, a record despite US tariff pressures and weaker shipments to the United States and China weighed down by tariffs.
- Minister Kim Jung-kwan said the export record last year shows economic resilience amid tough conditions and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged to triple AI spending this year.
- Despite the record, officials warned export conditions this year will remain difficult, citing semiconductor demand uncertainty, while agriculture and cosmetics sectors posted their highest-ever figures in South Korea.
10 Articles
10 Articles
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South Korea exports hit $700 billion record on semiconductors
South Korea's outbound shipments surpassed the USD 700 billion mark for the first time in 2025, driven primarily by robust global demand for semiconductors and record automobile sales. According to a report by Pulse, the English service of Maeil Business News Korea, data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday showed that the country's exports grew 3.8 per cent to reach USD 709.7 billion last year. This milestone makes…
South Korea crossed $700 billion in exports, but volume growth stayed muted
South Korea’s exports reached a record $709.7 billion in 2025, up 3.8% from a year earlier, surpassing the $700 billion mark for the first time, trade ministry data showed Thursday. Imports edged down 0.02% to $631.7 billion, resulting in a $78 billion trade surplus, the largest since 2017. Semiconductor exports rose 22.2% to an all-time […]
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