2025.08.0100:04:43UTC+00South Korea Trade Surplus Above Estimates

South Korea experienced a notable increase in its trade surplus, reaching USD 6.61 billion in July 2025, a marked improvement from USD 3.62 billion in the same period the previous year. This figure also surpassed market forecasts, which anticipated a surplus of USD 5.36 billion, thanks to a greater rise in exports compared to imports, according to preliminary data. Exports showed a robust year-on-year growth of 5.9%, climbing to a seven-month peak of USD 60.8 billion. This growth outpaced market expectations of a 4.6% increase and accelerated from the previous month's 4.3% rise, registering the most rapid expansion since December of the prior year. This surge was primarily attributed to strong semiconductor sales. Conversely, imports in July increased by a modest 0.7%, decelerating from June's 3.3% growth and failing to meet market expectations for a 2.0% rise.