Exports to the United States Drop by 14.3%
Exports to China Fall by 3.4%
From April 1 to April 20, export value decreased by 5.2% compared to the same period last year. Although semiconductors supported exports, shipments to the United States dropped sharply by 14.3%, and exports to China also fell by 3.4%. This appears to reflect the ongoing impact of the US-China tariff war.
According to the "Export and Import Status for April 1-20, 2025" released by the Korea Customs Service on the 21st, exports totaled $33.9 billion, down 5.2% from the same period last year, while imports amounted to $34.0 billion, a decrease of 11.8%. As a result, the trade balance recorded a deficit of $100 million.
Semiconductors accounted for 19.1% of total exports, rising by 10.7%. However, declines in major items such as passenger cars (-6.5%), petroleum products (-22.0%), and auto parts (-1.7%) led to an overall decrease in exports.
By item, there were particularly sharp declines in computer peripherals (-23.3%) and home appliances (-29.9%).
By export destination, exports to the European Union (EU) increased by 13.8%, and to Taiwan by 22.0%. However, exports to major trading partners such as China (-3.4%), the United States (-14.3%), and Vietnam (-0.2%) decreased. The decline in exports to the United States was especially significant.
Imports also fell sharply, mainly in energy-related items such as crude oil (-29.5%), semiconductors (-2.0%), gas (-21.3%), petroleum products (-26.6%), and coal (-33.2%). In contrast, imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment (9.8%) and precision instruments (2.9%) increased. By country, imports from Japan (3.2%) and Vietnam (6.3%) rose, while imports from China (-7.6%), the United States (-10.1%), and the EU (-17.3%) declined in most cases.
In April, the number of working days was 15.5, the same as last year. Taking this into account, the average daily export value was $2.19 billion, down 5.2% from $2.31 billion in the previous year.
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