"Semiconductors and Automobiles Drive 8.2% Export Growth Through 20th... Six Consecutive Months of Increase Expected" (Comprehensive)
by Ju Sangdon
Published 21 Nov.2025 10:25(KST)
Updated 21 Nov.2025 13:16(KST)
Korea Customs Service Releases Export and Import Data for November 1-20
Semiconductor Exports Up 26.5%, Passenger Cars Up 22.9%
From the beginning of this month through the 20th, exports increased by more than 8%, driven by strong performance in key sectors such as semiconductors and automobiles. The government forecasted that this upward trend would continue throughout November as a whole. If exports remain positive in November, it will mark the sixth consecutive month of export growth for Korea.
According to the Korea Customs Service on the 21st, exports from November 1 to 20 amounted to 38.5 billion dollars, up 8.2% compared to the same period last year. The number of working days was 15.5, the same as last year. Taking this into account, average daily exports stood at 2.48 billion dollars, also an increase of 8.2%.
By item, exports of semiconductors (26.5%), passenger cars (22.9%), and ships (2.3%) increased compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, exports of petroleum products (-19.3%) and auto parts (-8.1%) decreased. The share of semiconductor exports rose by 3.7 percentage points to 25.3%.
Exports to Korea’s two largest trading partners, China (10.2%) and the United States (5.7%), both increased. Exports to the European Union (4.9%) and Malaysia (29.3%) also grew. On the other hand, exports to Vietnam (-2.5%), Japan (-3.9%), and India (-6.5%) declined.
An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained, “The recent increase in automobile exports is largely due to the base effect of last year’s decline caused by strikes at auto parts suppliers, rather than the impact of the 15% tariff agreement. If a 15% tariff is applied to Korean automobiles in the United States, it is expected to improve profitability in the short term, and in the longer term, enhanced marketing based on improved profitability could lead to further export growth.”
As of the 20th of this month, imports reached 36.1 billion dollars, up 3.7% from a year earlier. Imports of machinery (13.6%), precision instruments (8.2%), and passenger cars (35.6%) increased, while imports of semiconductors (-3.8%) and crude oil (-16.4%) decreased. Imports of energy sources (crude oil, gas, coal) also fell by 17.5%. By country, imports from China (5.6%), the United States (13.5%), the European Union (15.2%), and Japan (1.0%) increased, while imports from Taiwan (-0.1%) and Saudi Arabia (-35.2%) declined.
As exports exceeded imports from November 1 to 20, the trade balance recorded a surplus of 2.4 billion dollars. Including this, the cumulative trade surplus from the beginning of this year through November 20 has expanded to 58.7 billion dollars.
An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, “Exports of semiconductors and automobiles are driving the overall increase in exports, and we expect this upward trend in total exports to continue. The government will do its utmost to provide policy support so that exports can maintain steady growth.”
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