'Computer' Re-enters Top 10 Korean Teen Export Items Due to 'COVID-19 Impact'

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] With the spread of remote work due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), 'computers' have re-entered the list of Korea's top 10 export items.

According to trade statistics from the Korea International Trade Association on the 23rd, among Korea's total export value of $130.87 billion from January to March this year, the top 10 product exports accounted for 54.9%.

Semiconductors maintained the top position with 17.8%, followed by automobiles at 6.9%, petroleum products at 6.8%, ships, offshore structures and parts at 4.3%, and automobile parts at 4.2%.

Compared to last year, the rankings of automobiles and petroleum products remained the same, but their shares fell by 1.0 percentage point and 0.7 percentage point, respectively. Automobile parts dropped from 4th to 5th place, and flat panel displays and sensors fell from 5th to 8th place.

These items experienced sluggish exports due to reduced demand and difficulties in production and supply caused by COVID-19.

On the other hand, computers, which ranked 10th in 2018 and fell out of the top 10 in 2019, recorded 9th place this year by exporting $3.177 billion, accounting for 2.4% of the total, supported by the spread of remote work due to COVID-19.

According to export statistics, computers include laptops, desktops, monitors, printers, scanners, solid state drives (SSD), and computer parts. The export growth rate of computers showed a steep upward trend with 43.7% in January, 89.2% in February, and 82.3% in March this year.

With the non-face-to-face economy taking root across global society due to COVID-19, the favorable export trend of computers is expected to continue for the time being.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.