January ICT Exports Up 78.5% Year-on-Year...Highest January Performance on Record

Semiconductor Exports Surge on Expanding Demand for High Value-Added Products
U.S. ICT Exports Up 110.7% on Strong Semiconductor Performance

In January this year, exports in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector exceeded 29.0 billion dollars (about 41.992 trillion won), marking the highest performance ever recorded for the month of January. This is attributed to the combination of growing global demand for AI infrastructure and the trend toward higher specifications in ICT devices, which together created favorable export conditions.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose a 25% reciprocal tariff on all imports from South Korea starting August 1. On July 8, 2025, at the export yard of Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi Province, cars and containers awaiting export were standing by for loading. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 12th that ICT exports in January this year reached 29.05 billion dollars, an increase of 78.5% compared with the same month of the previous year (16.27 billion dollars. Taking into account the number of working days, average daily exports also rose by 51.9% over the same period to 1.24 billion dollars. Imports came to 14.09 billion dollars, up 20% from the same month a year earlier (11.75 billion dollars). The trade balance posted a surplus of 14.96 billion dollars.

ICT exports in January this year not only logged the highest January figure ever, but also recorded the highest growth rate on record. The previous all-time January export record was 19.61 billion dollars in January 2022. The previous highest monthly export growth rate was 73.3% in December 2009.

By major item, semiconductors and computers and peripherals grew sharply. Semiconductors recorded 20.55 billion dollars, up 102.7% from a year earlier; computers and peripherals recorded 1.71 billion dollars, up 83.7%; mobile phones recorded 1.76 billion dollars, up 75.1%; displays recorded 1.5 billion dollars, up 19%; and communications equipment recorded 200 million dollars, up 26.7%.

For semiconductors, the upward trend in fixed prices for memory semiconductors such as DRAM and NAND, together with expanding demand for high value-added products such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM), contributed to growth. For computers and peripherals, strong demand for solid-state drives (SSD) was a key driver. For communications equipment, increased exports of in-vehicle equipment to the United States and of parts to Asian countries such as Vietnam and Japan supported growth. For displays, the full-scale supply of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for new mobile products played a role, while for mobile phones, robust demand for premium finished products boosted exports.

By region, exports to China (including Hong Kong) amounted to 11.76 billion dollars (up 94.5%), Vietnam 4.67 billion dollars (up 63.6%), the United States 4.62 billion dollars (up 110.7%), Taiwan 3.2 billion dollars (up 91.6%), the European Union 950 million dollars (up 30.8%), and India 500 million dollars (up 4.5%). In the case of the United States, semiconductors grew by 188.7%, driving the triple-digit overall increase.

Semiconductors also accounted for a large share of imports. By item, imports increased across major categories: semiconductors 7.37 billion dollars (up 22.2%), displays 470 million dollars (up 30.4%), mobile phones 810 million dollars (up 31.4%), computers and peripherals 1.73 billion dollars (up 11.8%), and communications equipment 330 million dollars (up 24.4%).

By region, ICT imports increased from Taiwan, at 2.44 billion dollars (up 31.4%), and from Vietnam, at 1.54 billion dollars (up 15.7%). In contrast, imports decreased from China (including Hong Kong), at 4.25 billion dollars (down 6.4%), from the United States, at 680 million dollars (down 23.8%), and from Japan, at 1.04 billion dollars (down 16.8%).

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