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SEOUL, Oct 1 — South Korea's exports jumped 83.5% in September from a year earlier to post a record monthly high, customs data showed on Thursday. Semiconductor shipments, fuelled by global spending on artificial intelligence, also set a record.
Data released by the customs office on Thursday showed outbound shipments outstripped market expectations of a 62.0% increase, marking the country's 16th consecutive month of export growth.
Average exports per working day jumped by 104.9% compared to the previous year.
The surging growth was anchored by a historic peak in semiconductor shipments, which continue to serve as the backbone of the global AI infrastructure build-out.
Imports climbed 26.0% year-on-year, outpacing the 21.5% forecast. This resulted in a provisional trade surplus of $49.85 billion, up from $34.79 billion in August.
(Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Ed Davies)
