Sean Daily

This is an English version of our Korean article, based on public information as of October 4, 2026. Please check the official sources below for the latest details.

Read the original Korean article

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September Export Report Card at a Glance

According to the ‘September 2026 Export and Import Trends’ released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on October 1, September exports were $120.94 billion, up 83.5% from a year earlier. It is the first time monthly exports have topped $120 billion.

The previous monthly record was about $102.0 billion in June this year. In other words, a new record about $19 billion higher was set in three months.

Imports rose 26.0% to $71.09 billion, and the trade surplus was $49.85 billion. It is also said to be the first time a monthly trade surplus has topped $40 billion.

Average daily exports adjusted for working days were $5.63 billion, up 105%, topping $5 billion for the first time. Cumulative exports from January to September were $814.5 billion, already surpassing last year’s full-year record of $709.3 billion.

In the all-time monthly export ranking, first place is September ($120.9 billion), second is June ($102.0 billion) and third is July ($99.2 billion). That means the top record has changed hands several times this year.

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Semiconductors at $60.3 Billion: What Was Different?

September semiconductor exports were $60.3 billion, up 262.8%. It is the first time a single item has topped $60 billion in a month. That is also well above the previous record, August (about $46.7 billion).

According to Financial News (파이낸셜뉴스), memory chip exports were $54.07 billion and system semiconductors were $5.54 billion, and semiconductors accounted for 49.9% of total exports.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry explained the reason as ‘memory demand keeps growing, which increases export volumes, and fixed prices (long-term prices in business-to-business transactions) also rose.’ The key point is that volume and price rose together.

The monthly semiconductor export ranking has also changed. First place is this September ($60.3 billion), second is August ($46.7 billion) and third is June ($44.8 billion). It stands out that the top three months are all this year.

In fact, the memory fixed prices in the data rose steadily from May to September. See the trend in the table below.

Product	May	June	July	August	September
DDR5 16Gb (USD)	37.5	40.0	45.0	46.5	48.0
NAND 128Gb (USD)	26.5	28.8	30.1	30.5	30.6

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How Did Items Other Than Semiconductors Do?

Semiconductors are the star, but exports excluding semiconductors also grew 23%. Among the 20 major export items, 11 increased.

Computers rose 435.3% to $7.0 billion. The Ministry of Trade and Industry cited the spread of agentic AI and demand for AI infrastructure. Wireless communication devices rose 23.4% to $2.14 billion, increasing for the 11th straight month.

Automobiles fell 5.5% to $6.05 billion. The Chuseok holiday, which was in October last year, moved to September this year, creating a base effect among other factors, and on a daily average basis they rose 5.5%.

Petroleum product exports rose 72% to $7.22 billion, but export volume actually fell 6.9%. International oil prices (Dubai crude at $113.7 per barrel, up 62.4% from a year earlier) rose sharply, so only the value grew. Even for the same ‘increase,’ you need to distinguish whether volume grew or prices rose.

Item	September exports	Change vs. a year earlier	Background cited by the Ministry of Trade and Industry
Semiconductors	$60.3 billion	+262.8%	Continued memory demand, higher volumes, higher fixed prices
Computers	$7.0 billion	+435.3%	Spread of agentic AI, AI infrastructure demand
Petroleum products	$7.22 billion	+72.0%	Surge in international oil prices (volume -6.9%)
Automobiles	$6.05 billion	-5.5%	Base effect from the shift in Chuseok holiday timing, among others
Ships	$3.76 billion	+29.9%	More deliveries of LNG carriers and very large gas carriers
Wireless communication devices	$2.14 billion	+23.4%	Strong sales of premium models, higher exports of parts for iPhones
Secondary batteries	$0.72 billion	+14.0%	Expansion of the ESS market, higher mineral prices

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Which Countries Bought the Most?

By region, exports rose in 6 of the 9 major export regions. China rose 122.7% to $26.01 billion, topping $20 billion for the fourth straight month, and the US rose 137.0% to $24.33 billion.

ASEAN rose 92.6% to $21.29 billion, topping $20 billion for the first time. The EU rose 20.9% to $8.65 billion, increasing for the 10th straight month. By contrast, the Middle East fell 14.1% to $1.60 billion, and difficulty passing through the Strait of Hormuz was mentioned as the reason.

The data also explains that exports to the US for September 1–25 included semiconductors at $8.4 billion (+675%). This shows how steeply semiconductor exports to the US have grown.

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Factors to Watch Ahead

Working-level officials at the Ministry of Trade and Industry said that if exports of around $100 billion a month continue for about two of the remaining three months, the full-year $1 trillion mark could be reached in late November to early December. This is a forecast with conditions attached, so it should not be taken as a confirmed fact.

Minister Kim Jung-kwan (김정관) also said that stronger protectionism and Middle East tensions remain big variables. Financial News also reported that, on concerns about over-reliance on semiconductors, the government takes the position that there is no need to artificially lower their share, pointing out that exports excluding semiconductors also grew 23%.

Imports should be looked at too. Crude oil import volume rose 2.0%, but the unit price rose 35.7%, so crude oil imports rose 38.4% to about $8.0 billion. Semiconductor equipment imports also rose 50.8% to $3.44 billion, which can be read as a sign that the export boom is moving together with capital investment.

One more thing: export value is not corporate profit. It is just the value of exports, so it is hard to connect it directly to company earnings, stock prices or your own salary.

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How It Affects Your Daily Life and What to Do Now

This release is a macro indicator, so it is hard to say definitively what change will reach your wallet right away. However, it does help you build an eye for reading the news. Use the checklist below for a light check.

1) When you look at a number, first check whether it is ‘versus the same month last year’ or ‘versus the previous month.’ All the growth rates seen today are compared with the same month a year earlier.

2) Distinguish ‘growth in value’ from ‘growth in volume.’ There are cases like petroleum products where only the value grew because of prices.

3) These figures are preliminary. They can change in the final statistics later, so make important decisions after checking the final data.

4) If you want to use them for investment or spending decisions, look at the trend over several months rather than one month’s number, together with official data. This article is not investment advice.

5) It is also a good habit to read the original source yourself. The Ministry of Trade and Industry press release puts figures by item and region and the all-time rankings on one page, so you get the context much more accurately than from headlines alone.

6) Compare the same indicator in the same way every month. If the semiconductor share was 49.9% this month, just watching how that share changes in next month’s release makes the trend easier to grasp.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is $1 trillion in annual exports confirmed?

No. A Ministry of Trade and Industry official said it is possible on the condition that exports of around $100 billion a month continue for the rest of the year. It could change depending on external variables.

Q. Is a trade surplus the same as export value?

They differ. The trade balance is export value minus import value. In September, the surplus was $49.85 billion, which is $120.94 billion in exports minus $71.09 billion in imports.

Q. If semiconductor exports rise, will smartphone or PC prices also rise?

This release does not confirm that. What is confirmed is only that memory fixed prices, which are prices in business-to-business transactions, rose. How that will be reflected in consumer prices depends on manufacturers’ policies and other factors, so it cannot be stated definitively.

Q. Are these figures final?

No. The release is based on preliminary figures. Some numbers may be adjusted when the final statistics come out later.

This article summarizes public data for informational purposes. Product specifications, fees and policy details may change, so please be sure to check official announcements.