Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Korea’s trade surplus in ICT is on the rise thanks to advanced · emerging economies’ increase in ICT product exports

Korea’s ICT product exports in February 2014 were recorded as USD 12.84 billion, up by 8.4% compared to the same period in the previous year. Korea’s ICT product exports increased evenly in the advanced and emerging countries based on export restoration in the U.S., European countries and Japan, as well as export expansion to ASEAN 〮 Latin American countries. By region, ITC product exports to the U.S. increased to USD 1.12 billion, up by 7.9%, while those to EU countries, Japan, ASEAN countries, and Latin American countries were recorded as USD 1.34 billion (up 1.9%), USD 0.53 billion (up by 19.7%), USD 1.65 billion (up 5.4%), and USD 0.76 billion (up 8.3%), respectively. By item, mobile phones (USD 2.05 billion, up 37.7%), semiconductors (USD 4.47 billion, up 14.6%) and D-TVs (USD 0.53 billion, up 8.6%) all continued to lead the increase in exports. Korea's ICT industry was in the black, recording a surplus of USD 6.63 billion, which served as a driving force to reach the nation’s trade surplus of USD 0.93 billion for the month. ICT product export performance and trade balance in February in recent years are shown in the figure below. By region, imports from most countries such as China (including Hong Kong, USD 2.16 billion, up 15.6%), ASEAN countries (USD 1.01 billion, up 27.2%), the U.S. (USD 0.6 billion, up by 5.4%) and EU countries (USD 0.46, up by 9.7%) increased. As well, it is expected that ICT product exports will remain strong mainly with restoration in the world ICT markets and growth of major items such as Smartphones, and semiconductors. date2014-03-12

The Results of the 4th Korea-China-Japan FTA Negotiation

The 5th round of negotiations will be held in China in July, but the specific schedule still needs to be agreed upon among the three countries. In order to lay the foundation for the economic integration of East Asia, the government will actively participate in the Korea- China-Japan FTA negotiation; and work on the negotiation in consideration of the need for consistency among the Korea-China FTA, the Korea-China-Japan FTA and RCEP*. * RCEP: Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (participated in by ASEAN, Korea, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India) date2014-03-10

Korea and UAE Conclude MOU for Cooperation in the Energy Sector

Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy Sang-Jik Yoon took part in a ceremony to sign the Korea-UAE MOU for Energy Cooperation with the UAE’s Minister of Energy Suhail bin Mohammed Al- Mazrouei at the Government Building in Seoul in Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul, at 10:00, February 28, 2014 (Fri). H. H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and Prime Minister Hong-Won Jeong attended the ceremony for the signing of the MOU, which aims to foster experts in energy and promote cooperation for joint advancements into the energy markets of third countries. date2014-03-05

MOTIE Holds the First Council to Support Export Investment in 2014

- Company A : ㅇ Ships are classified as foreign ships once they pass the export customs. Workers must report to the authorities every time they go onboard to finish jobs. ⇒ Difficult to react swiftly to emergencies, and can cause delayed delivery   - Company B : ㅇ Insurance policy of Ksure (mid/long term export insurance, financial insurance on overseas business, etc.) is not approved as official collateral for domestic banks (unlike global banks) when loans for overseas PJT are needed ⇒ Companies under stress due to additional interest rate (0.7~1.5%) - Company C : ㅇ Agencies that provide export support rarely share information on trade statistics (local autonomous bodies, trade associations, KOTRA, etc.) ⇒Makes it difficult for relevant agencies to implement support policies catering to each company   - Company D : ㅇ Sight protective spectacles and contact lens are classified as items for medical purposes and are banned from being sold in online shopping malls ⇒ Overseas consumers can purchase them in global online shopping malls, but cannot in domestic online malls         Actually, the issues considered to be a “thorn in the side” of these companies that were raised at the 2nd meeting to promote trade investment (last July) were recently completely resolved. For instance, in the past, companies that exported services such as software had to issue confirmation of export/import and export result certificate from relevant associations (Korea International Trade Association, Korea Shipowners’ Association, etc.) and foreign exchange banks, respectively, in order to receive trade financing. But the law (Regulations governing international trade) was revised last September, enabling one-stop issuance of the certificates as of March 1st. In addition, the meeting also discussed detailed measures to achieve “Creation of new growth engine for export,” the implementation direction of which was proposed at the 2014 MOTIE report on Feb. 24th. Facilitation measures such as dev date2014-03-05

Korea and Australia Initialize FTA.

Woo Tae-hee, Assistant Minister for Trade and Chief Negotiator for FTAs of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Assistant Secretary Jan Adams of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the chief representatives of both countries, initialized the Korea-Australia FTA and signed the Joint Statement of confirmation at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, Australia, on February 10, 2014 (Mon). date2014-03-04

Export and Import Trends in February 2014

More specifically, exports of wireless communication devices increased thanks to growing demand in emerging markets, exports of semiconductors increased thanks to strong memory prices, and exports of IT devices and automobiles increased thanks to the product competitiveness and improved brand recognition enjoyed by Korean companies. On the other hand, exports of petroleum products and LCD devices were down due to the continued decline in the price of panels related to instability in supply and demand, as well as exports of ships due to delays in delivery. - Export growth by item (%): wireless communication devices 34.5, semiconductors 14.5, automotive products 9.1, steel 0.4, general machinery -2.4, petrochemicals -6.8, ships -7.0, LCD -11.1, petroleum products -15.4 By nation, exports to the EU (expansion of exports of wireless communication devices and consumer electronics), the ASEAN countries (growing exports of ships), and China (strong sales in capital goods such as general machinery) all increased. However, the sharp drop in ship exports resulted in a temporary decrease of exports to the US and Latin America. In addition, the weak Yen continues to drive down exports to Japan. In terms of the F5 nations, exports to Turkey and Brazil picked up, while exports to South Africa and Indonesia suffered. - Export growth by nation (%): ASEAN 15.1, EU 10.6, China 3.8, US -6.7, Latin America - 11.9, Turkey 29.3, Brazil 24.5, India 1.4, Indonesia -34.9, South Africa -69.1 date2014-03-04

Sales Trend of Major Distributors for January 2014

Non-Food Sectors ○ Electronics & Culture - Year-on-Year : 19.6 - Month-on-Month : -12.5 ○ Apparel - Year-on-Year : 6.0 - Month-on-Month : -32.6 ○ Living - Year-on-Year : 11.8 - Month-on-Month : 13.1 ○ Sports - Year-on-Year : 1.8 - Month-on-Month : -25.3 ○ General Merchandise - Year-on-Year : 10.3 - Month-on-Month : 19.3 ○ Sub Total - Year-on-Year : 11.8 - Month-on-Month : -4.7       ○ Foods - Year-on-Year : 25.3 - Month-on-Month : 41.8 ○ Total - Year-on-Year : 18.6 - Month-on-Month : 16.2         Non-Food Sectors ○ General Merchandise - Year-on-Year : 2.8 - Month-on-Month : -19.1 ○ Ladies’ Formal Wear - Year-on-Year : -9.9 - Month-on-Month : -13.4 ○ Women’s Casual Wear - Year-on-Year : -0.6 - Month-on-Month : -28.0 ○ Men’s Wear - Year-on-Year : -3.3 - Month-on-Month : -9.0 ○ Children & Sports - Year-on-Year : 3.7 - Month-on-Month : -29.0 ○ Living - Year-on-Year : 4.6 - Month-on-Month : 0.6 ○ Global Brands - Year-on-Year : 11.3 - Month-on-Month : -23.3 ○ Sub Total - Year-on-Year : 1.1 - Month-on-Month : -19.6 ○ Foods - Year-on-Year : 37.7 - Month-on-Month : 45.3 ○ Total - Year-on-Year : 6.8 - Month-on-Month : -13.4           Meanwhile, the revenues of convenience stores grew by 9.7% year-on-year, fueled by robust sales of liquor and gift sets during the holiday seasons. However, the revenues declined by 2.3% month-on-month due to a revenue decrease in tobacco, as the number of smokers tends to decrease at the start of the year. Non-Food Sectors ○ Living - Year-on-Year : 17.9 - Month-on-Month : 0.4 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 3.6 ○ General Merchandise* - Year-on-Year : 16.1 - Month-on-Month : 15.9 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 4.7 ○ Tobacco, etc. - Year-on-Year : 3.5 - Month-on-Month : -4.1 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 37.6 ○ Sub Total - Year-on-Year : 5.7 - Month-on-Month : -2.0 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 45.9     Foods ○ Beverages and Processed Goods - Year-on-Year : 13.8 - Month-on-Month : -2.2 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 47.0 ○ Instant foods (including some perishable goods) - Year-on-Year : 10.3 - Month-on-Month : -4.5 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 7.1 ○ Sub Total - Year-on-Year : 13.3 - Month-on-Month : -2.5 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 54.1 ○ Total - Year-on-Year : 9.7 - Month-on-Month : -2.3 - Percentage in sales(‘14.1) : 100     * Books, magazines, lottery, and gift certificates         The revenue of SSM (Super Supermarkets) also increased by 3.7% year-on-year and by 17.7% month-on-month thanks to robust sales in agricultural and fisheries and general merchandise, prompted by the growing demand during the holiday season. [Revenue Growt date2014-02-27

Bigger Market for Companies, and Better Jobs for People

Objective : Bigger Market for Companies, and Better Jobs for People   Strategies : ㅁ Establish virtuous cycle of export/investment and domestic demand ① Expand exports of SMEs/Enterprise with high potential ② Reform regulations & facilitate investment ③ Nurture new industry to create jobs ㅁ Nurture creativity/innovation-oriented new growth engines ④ First Mover innovation ⑤ Establish a creative industrial ecosystem ⑥ Anchor creative economy of the region   ㅁ Promote overseas market entry by companies and individuals ⑦ Continuously promote open trade policy ⑧ Maximize achievement of summit diplomacy ⑨ Help trade cooperation in the resources/energy sector to bear fruit ㅁ Normalization of the resources/energy sector (⑩)           Export risk of SMEs/High potential enterprises is increasing, as the US tapering has increased the volatility of the exchange rate and concerns on the crisis of newly emerging countries. Domestic demand-oriented companies and export startups are suffering from a lack of information on overseas markets and export financing. Under these circumstances, the Ministry will step up its efforts to increase the resilience of SMEs/High potential enterprises. The Ministry is expected to expand the support available for trade financing by providing a special contribution in the private sector and integrating the overseas market information of 34 export supporting organizations in order to make it available online so that SMEs can have easy access to information on exporting. In addition, as part of its efforts to increase the number of SMEs exporters to 100,000 by 2017 (87,000 in 2013), the Ministry will extend customized integrated programs such as precise analysis of export capabilities, 1:1 consulting, provision of channels, and support for trade finance, and will operate a dedicated trading company starting this July. The competitiveness of the global market is continuously growing due to the promotion of a renaissance in the manufacturing industry in advanced nations; the accelerating recovery in the US manufacturing sector spurred by the Shale gas boom; Japan’s aggressive market expansion thanks to the weak Yen; and Germany’s promotion of its Industry 4.0 campaign. However, Korea is lagging behind in terms of creating n date2014-02-25

Analysis of Trend in R&D investments by the Top 1,000 Korean Companies in terms of R&D Investment Amount in 2012

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (Minister Yoon Sang-jick) and the Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology (President Jeong Jae-hoon) conducted a study on the R&D investment trend of the 1,000 Korean companies that made the highest R&D investments. The total R&D investment by these top 1,000 companies was recorded as KRW 35.6 trillion, up 12.7% from 2011. * The top 1,000 companies in the area of R&D investment were selected based upon the 2012 audit report date2014-02-21

MOTIE Hold Meeting on Recent Export Conditions by Business Sectors

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister: Yoon Sang-jick) held a meeting on „Import/Export trend review for different business sectors,‟ hosted by Vice Minister for Industry and Technology Kim Jae-hong. The meeting was held at the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) (Conference hall on the 11th floor) on February 18th, 2014. Twenty officials from 11 organizations representing different business sectors and export-related organizations participated in the meeting. * Organizations representing different business sectors: the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association, the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, the Korea Association of Machinery Industries, the Korea Display Industry Association, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Korea Electronics Association, the Korea Petrochemical Industry Association, the Korea Federation of Textile Industries, the Korea Petroleum Association, the Korea Iron & Steel Association, the Korea Auto Industries Coop. Association * Export related organizations: K-Sure and Kotra It is expected that exports of most of Korea‟s major export items this year will show growth thanks to the economic recovery of advanced nations like the US and European countries. * Economic growth prospect for 2014 (IMF, %): Global 3.7, US 2.8, EU 1.0, China 7.5, Japan 1.7 * 2014 prospect: (Export) USD 595.5 billion, 6.4% ↑, (Trade balance) USD 33.5 billion surplus Not only exports to advanced nations but also indirect exports through China (IT devices), Vietnam (Wireless communication devices), and Indonesia (Textile) will grow this year. However, our exports can be affected if the crisis in emerging markets caused by the US tapering* is reflected in the real economy. In addition, the strong Won/weak Yen and expanding protectionism pose threats to our exports. To ensure that exports continue to serve as an engine for our economic growth given the harsh external conditions, the meeting reviewed recent trends of 13 major export items that represent around 80 percent of our exports, and also paid attention to the difficulties of the field. Vice Minister Kim Jae-hong stressed, “We had a smooth start in exports this year, with average daily exports in January rising 8.9 percent year on year. However, as the external conditions are still unstable with the financial crisis in emerging markets and the weak Yen, affected organizations and businesses should strive to expand exports by SMEs and high potential enterprises.” Deputy Director Song Jeong-hoon, Export & Import Division (☎ 044-203-4042) date2014-02-19