(LEAD) S. Korea’s exports up 4.3 pct to US$59.8 bln in June on robust chip demand: data

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more info) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports rose 4.3 percent from a year earlier in June thanks to strong global demand for semiconductors, marking a turnaround from an on-year drop the previous month, government data showed Tuesday. Outbound shipments came to US$59.8 billion last month, the highest for any June, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, recovering from a 1.3 percent contraction in May. Imports added 3.3 percent on-year to $50.72 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $9.08 billion. Containers are waiting to be shipped at a port in the southeastern city of Busan on June 30, 2025. (Yonhap) The ministry attributed the export growth to the robust performance of semiconductors and automobiles, the country's top two export items. Outbound shipments of semiconductors jumped 11.6 percent on-year to reach an all-time high of $14.97 billion in June, driven by demand for high-value products, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips and DDR5. Auto exports increased 2.3 percent to $6.3 billion, the highest for any June, on robust electric vehicle (EV) demand in Europe. Exports of computers, including solid state drives (SSDs), advanced 15.2 percent to $1.33 billion, while biohealth exports surged 36.5 percent to $1.66 billion, also hitting the highest mark for any June. Ship exports also shot up 63.4 percent to $2.5 billion, up for the fourth consecutive month. Shipments of agro-fisheries products gained 7.7 percent to $1.03 billion, and cosmetics exports soared 22 percent to $950 million. On the other hand, shipments of petroleum and petrochemical products decreased 2 percent and 15.5 percent to $3.62 billion and $3.36 billion, respectively. By region, exports to the United States went down 0.5 percent to $11.24 billion amid the sweeping tariff measures of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Exports to China also dropped 2.7 percent to $10.42 billion. But shipments to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) went up 2.1 percent to $9.76 billion, and exports to the European Union expanded 14.7 percent to $5.8 billion. Exports to Taiwan, a major destination for chips, escalated 31 percent to $4.34 billion, a record high for June. Shipments to India, Japan and the Middle East also increased 2.3 percent, 3 percent and 14.8 percent, respectively. nyway@yna.co.kr(END)