{"version":"1","article":{"id":"korea-september-exports-record-2026","slug":"korea-september-exports-record-2026","language":"en","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/news/korea-september-exports-record-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026?lang=en","title":"South Korea’s September exports hit a record $120.94 billion","summary":"Exports rose 83.5% year on year as imports reached $71.09 billion and the monthly trade surplus widened to $49.85 billion.","category":"economy","region":"world","topics":[],"published_at":"2026-10-04T13:00:06+03:00","modified_at":"2026-10-04T13:00:06+03:00","publication_basis":"publication-record","event_period":"2026-09","event_period_basis":"event-or-reference-period","sources":[{"name":"Republic of Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources","url":"https://english.motir.go.kr/eng/article/EATCLdfa319ada/2743/view","publishedAt":"2026-10-01","checkedAt":"2026-10-04"}],"translations":[{"language":"tr","url":"https://haberpaper.com/tr/news/korea-september-exports-record-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026?lang=tr"},{"language":"en","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/news/korea-september-exports-record-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026?lang=en"},{"language":"ar","url":"https://haberpaper.com/ar/news/korea-september-exports-record-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026?lang=ar"},{"language":"fr","url":"https://haberpaper.com/fr/news/korea-september-exports-record-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026?lang=fr"},{"language":"es","url":"https://haberpaper.com/es/news/korea-september-exports-record-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026?lang=es"}],"data_types":["metrics"],"data":{"version":1,"blocks":[{"id":"korea-september-trade-values","type":"metrics","title":{"tr":"Güney Kore dış ticareti, Eylül 2026","en":"South Korea trade, September 2026","ar":"تجارة كوريا الجنوبية، سبتمبر 2026","fr":"Commerce extérieur sud-coréen, septembre 2026","es":"Comercio exterior de Corea del Sur, septiembre de 2026"},"description":{"tr":"MOTIR tarafından bildirilen aylık mal ticareti değerleri ve yıllık değişimler.","en":"Monthly goods-trade values and year-on-year changes reported by MOTIR.","ar":"قيم تجارة السلع الشهرية والتغيرات السنوية التي أوردتها الوزارة.","fr":"Valeurs mensuelles du commerce de marchandises et variations annuelles publiées par le MOTIR.","es":"Valores mensuales del comercio de bienes y variaciones interanuales comunicados por el MOTIR."},"methodology":{"tr":"Tutarlar kaynak bakanlığın açıkladığı ABD doları cinsinden nominal mal ticareti değerleridir; veri bloğunda tam USD olarak gösterilir. Oranlar kaynağın yıllık değişim oranlarıdır. Bunlar fiziksel hacim ölçüsü değildir; kaynak hacim değişimlerini haber gövdesinde ayrıca ayırdığı yerlerde belirtilmiştir. Eylül 2026 aylık dönemi, ilk dokuz aylık toplam ve önceki tam yıl karşılaştırması birbirinden ayrı dönemlerdir. Dönüşüm, tahmin veya mevsim düzeltmesi eklenmemiştir.","en":"Amounts are nominal goods-trade values in US dollars as reported by the ministry, represented below in whole USD. Percentages are the ministry’s year-on-year rates. These are not physical-volume measures; volume movements are distinguished in the article where the source reports them separately. September 2026, the first-nine-month cumulative period and the prior full-year comparison are distinct periods. No conversion, forecast or seasonal adjustment has been added.","ar":"المبالغ قيم اسمية لتجارة السلع بالدولار الأمريكي كما أوردتها الوزارة، وممثلة أدناه بالدولار الكامل. والنسب هي معدلات التغير السنوية التي أعلنتها الوزارة. وهي لا تقيس الحجم المادي؛ وتفصل المقالة تحركات الحجم حيث أوردها المصدر مستقلة. سبتمبر 2026 والفترة التراكمية للأشهر التسعة الأولى ومقارنة السنة الكاملة السابقة فترات مختلفة. لم تُضف تحويلات أو توقعات أو تعديلات موسمية.","fr":"Les montants sont les valeurs nominales du commerce de marchandises en dollars américains publiées par le ministère, présentées ci-dessous en USD entiers. Les pourcentages sont les variations sur un an communiquées par le MOTIR. Ils ne mesurent pas les volumes physiques ; l’article distingue les évolutions de volume lorsque la source les fournit séparément. Septembre 2026, le cumul des neuf premiers mois et la comparaison avec l’année précédente complète sont des périodes différentes. Aucune conversion, prévision ou correction saisonnière n’a été ajoutée.","es":"Los importes son valores nominales del comercio de bienes en dólares estadounidenses comunicados por el ministerio y se muestran en USD enteros. Los porcentajes son variaciones interanuales del MOTIR. No miden el volumen físico; el artículo diferencia los cambios de volumen cuando la fuente los publica por separado. Septiembre de 2026, el acumulado de los nueve primeros meses y la comparación con el año completo anterior son periodos distintos. No se han añadido conversiones, previsiones ni ajustes estacionales."},"items":[{"label":{"tr":"Mal ihracatı","en":"Goods exports","ar":"صادرات السلع","fr":"Exportations de marchandises","es":"Exportaciones de bienes"},"value":120940000000,"unit":"USD","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-goods-exports","unitCode":"usd","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Mal ihracatının yıllık değişimi","en":"Year-on-year change in goods exports","ar":"التغير السنوي في صادرات السلع","fr":"Variation annuelle des exportations de marchandises","es":"Variación interanual de las exportaciones de bienes"},"value":83.5,"unit":"percent","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-goods-exports-yoy-change","unitCode":"percent","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"change","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Mal ithalatı","en":"Goods imports","ar":"واردات السلع","fr":"Importations de marchandises","es":"Importaciones de bienes"},"value":71090000000,"unit":"USD","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-goods-imports","unitCode":"usd","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Mal ithalatının yıllık değişimi","en":"Year-on-year change in goods imports","ar":"التغير السنوي في واردات السلع","fr":"Variation annuelle des importations de marchandises","es":"Variación interanual de las importaciones de bienes"},"value":26,"unit":"percent","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-goods-imports-yoy-change","unitCode":"percent","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"change","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Dış ticaret fazlası","en":"Trade surplus","ar":"الفائض التجاري","fr":"Excédent commercial","es":"Superávit comercial"},"value":49850000000,"unit":"USD","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-trade-surplus","unitCode":"usd","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Yarı iletken ihracatı","en":"Semiconductor exports","ar":"صادرات أشباه الموصلات","fr":"Exportations de semi-conducteurs","es":"Exportaciones de semiconductores"},"value":60300000000,"unit":"USD","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-semiconductor-exports","unitCode":"usd","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Yarı iletken ihracatının yıllık değişimi","en":"Year-on-year change in semiconductor exports","ar":"التغير السنوي في صادرات أشباه الموصلات","fr":"Variation annuelle des exportations de semi-conducteurs","es":"Variación interanual de las exportaciones de semiconductores"},"value":262.8,"unit":"percent","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-semiconductor-exports-yoy-change","unitCode":"percent","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"change","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Ocak-Eylül mal ihracatı","en":"Goods exports, January–September","ar":"صادرات السلع من يناير إلى سبتمبر","fr":"Exportations de marchandises, janvier-septembre","es":"Exportaciones de bienes, enero-septiembre"},"value":814500000000,"unit":"USD","period":"2026-09","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"korea-goods-exports-year-to-date","unitCode":"usd","geography":"south-korea","frequency":"monthly","aggregation":"cumulative","periodRole":"reference-period"}}],"sourceUrls":["https://english.motir.go.kr/eng/article/EATCLdfa319ada/2743/view"],"updatedAt":"2026-10-04T03:05:10+03:00"}]},"data_compilations":[{"id":"korea-september-trade-values","creator":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://haberpaper.com/#organization","name":"Haber Paper","url":"https://haberpaper.com/"},"license":{"@type":"CreativeWork","@id":"https://haberpaper.com/en/data-terms/v1#license","name":"Haber Paper Original Data Compilation License 1.0","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/data-terms/v1"},"rights_scope":"Haber Paper original data arrangement, labels and methodology notes only; underlying source rights and permissions remain separate.","source_license_url":null}],"data_downloads":[{"id":"korea-september-trade-values","formats":{"json":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026/data/korea-september-trade-values?lang=en&format=json","csv":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/korea-september-exports-record-2026/data/korea-september-trade-values?lang=en&format=csv"}}],"content":{"paragraphs":["South Korea’s goods exports rose 83.5% from a year earlier to $120.94 billion in September 2026. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) said in a release posted on October 1 that monthly exports had crossed $120 billion for the first time and the trade surplus had also reached a record $49.85 billion. Imports increased 26.0% to $71.09 billion. These totals describe the monetary value of goods trade. They do not, by themselves, show an equivalent increase in the physical quantity shipped, because prices and product mix can change the value recorded in dollars.","Exports for January through September totalled $814.5 billion, according to the ministry, exceeding the $709.3 billion record for the whole of 2025 within the first nine months of the new year. That comparison places a nine-month cumulative figure beside a full-year figure; it is not a result for all of 2026 and does not establish how the year will end. The September increase was concentrated in several product groups. Semiconductor exports jumped 262.8% to $60.30 billion and computer exports rose 435.3% to $7.00 billion. MOTIR said exports grew in 11 of its 20 key export-item categories, indicating that the monthly gain was broad in some respects but not universal.","Semiconductors represented about half of September’s export value. MOTIR attributed their performance to continued memory demand, expanding export volumes and rising contract prices. It linked computer exports to demand for artificial-intelligence infrastructure and wider adoption of agentic AI. Wireless communication device exports increased 23.4% to $2.14 billion. Automotive exports moved in the opposite direction, falling 5.5% to $6.05 billion. The ministry cited a calendar comparison: Chuseok fell in October in 2025 but September in 2026, affecting the year-on-year comparison, and used-car exports were weaker. Average daily automobile exports nevertheless rose 5.5%, a different measure that adjusts for the number of working days.","Energy-related trade illustrates why value and volume should be kept distinct. Petroleum-product exports increased 72.0% to $7.22 billion and petrochemical exports rose 5.1% to $3.95 billion. MOTIR pointed to sharply higher international oil prices amid fewer vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz and heightened shipping risks in the Red Sea. Yet export volumes declined 6.9% for petroleum products and 19.1% for petrochemicals. Crude-oil imports by value rose 38.4% to $8.00 billion; the ministry reported a 2.0% increase in import volume and a 35.7% rise in prices. Nominal dollar totals can therefore rise substantially even where physical quantities are flat or falling.","Exports to China climbed 122.7% to $26.01 billion, shipments to the United States rose 137.0% to $24.33 billion, and exports to ASEAN advanced 92.6% to $21.29 billion. Sales to the European Union increased 20.9% to $8.65 billion, while exports to the Middle East fell 14.1% to $1.60 billion. Energy imports increased 38.0% to $12.96 billion. The ministry relayed a ministerial expectation that annual exports could reach $1 trillion, while also identifying protectionism and Middle East tensions as risks; this is an official outlook, not an achieved total or independently established forecast. One exceptional month, concentrated product growth and reported market movements do not alone determine the subsequent trade path."],"key_points":[],"sections":[]},"text":"Exports rose 83.5% year on year as imports reached $71.09 billion and the monthly trade surplus widened to $49.85 billion.\n\nSouth Korea’s goods exports rose 83.5% from a year earlier to $120.94 billion in September 2026. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) said in a release posted on October 1 that monthly exports had crossed $120 billion for the first time and the trade surplus had also reached a record $49.85 billion. Imports increased 26.0% to $71.09 billion. These totals describe the monetary value of goods trade. They do not, by themselves, show an equivalent increase in the physical quantity shipped, because prices and product mix can change the value recorded in dollars.\n\nExports for January through September totalled $814.5 billion, according to the ministry, exceeding the $709.3 billion record for the whole of 2025 within the first nine months of the new year. That comparison places a nine-month cumulative figure beside a full-year figure; it is not a result for all of 2026 and does not establish how the year will end. The September increase was concentrated in several product groups. Semiconductor exports jumped 262.8% to $60.30 billion and computer exports rose 435.3% to $7.00 billion. MOTIR said exports grew in 11 of its 20 key export-item categories, indicating that the monthly gain was broad in some respects but not universal.\n\nSemiconductors represented about half of September’s export value. MOTIR attributed their performance to continued memory demand, expanding export volumes and rising contract prices. It linked computer exports to demand for artificial-intelligence infrastructure and wider adoption of agentic AI. Wireless communication device exports increased 23.4% to $2.14 billion. Automotive exports moved in the opposite direction, falling 5.5% to $6.05 billion. The ministry cited a calendar comparison: Chuseok fell in October in 2025 but September in 2026, affecting the year-on-year comparison, and used-car exports were weaker. Average daily automobile exports nevertheless rose 5.5%, a different measure that adjusts for the number of working days.\n\nEnergy-related trade illustrates why value and volume should be kept distinct. Petroleum-product exports increased 72.0% to $7.22 billion and petrochemical exports rose 5.1% to $3.95 billion. MOTIR pointed to sharply higher international oil prices amid fewer vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz and heightened shipping risks in the Red Sea. Yet export volumes declined 6.9% for petroleum products and 19.1% for petrochemicals. Crude-oil imports by value rose 38.4% to $8.00 billion; the ministry reported a 2.0% increase in import volume and a 35.7% rise in prices. Nominal dollar totals can therefore rise substantially even where physical quantities are flat or falling.\n\nExports to China climbed 122.7% to $26.01 billion, shipments to the United States rose 137.0% to $24.33 billion, and exports to ASEAN advanced 92.6% to $21.29 billion. Sales to the European Union increased 20.9% to $8.65 billion, while exports to the Middle East fell 14.1% to $1.60 billion. Energy imports increased 38.0% to $12.96 billion. The ministry relayed a ministerial expectation that annual exports could reach $1 trillion, while also identifying protectionism and Middle East tensions as risks; this is an official outlook, not an achieved total or independently established forecast. One exceptional month, concentrated product growth and reported market movements do not alone determine the subsequent trade path.","corrections":[],"editorial_illustration":{"kind":"symbolic-editorial-illustration","documentary":false,"scope":"section","asset_id":"economy","url":"https://haberpaper.com/assets/illustrations/economy-1536.webp","width":1536,"height":1024,"alt":"Symbolic trading harbour with a cargo ship, containers and a bridge.","language":"en"},"section_illustration":{"kind":"symbolic-editorial-illustration","documentary":false,"scope":"section","asset_id":"economy","url":"https://haberpaper.com/assets/illustrations/economy-1536.webp","width":1536,"height":1024,"alt":"Symbolic trading harbour with a cargo ship, containers and a bridge.","language":"en"}}}