February 2010

South Korea
Y-o-Y


South Korea's trade swings to surplus last month

SEOUL -- South Korea reported a trade surplus of US$2.33 billion in February, helped by improving overseas demand for semiconductors and other key export items.
Exports were worth US$33.27 billion in February, up 31 percent from a year earlier, while imports rose 36.9 percent to 30.94 billion, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said on Monday.
The February surplus followed a US$460 million deficit the previous month.
In February, shipments of semiconductors, displays, ships and cars made solid gains, the ministry said.
Exports of semiconductors surged 118.4 percent from a year earlier, while shipments of cars and ships grew 32.9 percent and 15 percent each, it said.
The ministry forecast a monthly trade surplus of more than one billion dollars from March despite external risks and debt concerns in some European nations