Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Korean auto industry sees improvement in exports, production in April

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on May 16 that the Korean auto industry exported 223,235 vehicles in April, up 3 percent from a year earlier.The improvement in exports was largely due to robust sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and eco-friendly vehicles in North America and Europe. In terms of value, exports grew 5.8 percent year-on-year to USD 3.8 billion.Outbound shipments of green cars were particularly strong as they amounted to 20,281 units. This 39.3 percent year- date2019-05-16

Korea’s exports in April fall 2 percent to $48.9 billion

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on May 1 that Korea’s exports in April fell 2 percent to USD 48.9 billion compared to the same period a year earlier. Imports expanded 2.4 percent to $44.7 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $4.1 billion.The decrease in exports was in part due to falling prices of semiconductors and petrochemicals as well as a slowing Chinese economy. Other external factors such as the ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute and stagnant world trade date2019-05-01

Sales of Korean retail industry grow 7.6 percent in March

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on April 28 that Korea’s online and offline retailers saw a year-on-year sales increase of 7.6 percent in March. Brick-and-mortar stores experienced a sales growth of 1.3 percent, and sales at online retailers grew by 18.2 percent.The Ministry releases monthly retail sales figures based on surveys of 26 major retailers. Half of them are brick-and-mortar retailers: three department store chains, three hypermarket chains, three convenience date2019-04-28

Exports of ICT goods in March reach $15.9 billion

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on April 22 that Korean exports of information and communications technology (ICT) goods in March decreased 16.3 percent year-on-year to USD 15.9 billion.Imports inched up 1.4 percent to $9.2 billion, and the trade balance stood at a surplus of $6.7 billion.The fifth consecutive monthly decline in exports was mainly due to slowing sales of semiconductors, displays, mobile phones.By item, shipments of semiconductors, displays, mobile phones, an date2019-04-22

Korean exports of materials and parts total $67.5 billion in Q1

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on April 22 that Korea’s exports of materials and parts in the first quarter of this year totaled USD 67.5 billion, down 9.0 percent from the same period last year.The country’s imports also saw a year-on-year decrease of 4.3 percent to $41.7 billion. The trade balance stood at a surplus of $25.8 billion in this segment.These figures are based on 11 different item categories: five for materials (textiles, chemical product date2019-04-22

Korean auto exports rise 2.4 percent year-on-year in Q1

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on April 17 that Korea’s automobile exports in the first quarter increased 2.4 percent compared to the same period year earlier.The number of Korean vehicles exported from January to March amounted to 587,690 units. In terms of value, exports rose 4.7 percent to USD 10.3 billion. This expansion is primarily a result of robust demand for eco-friendly cars, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and compact cars.Over the same period, the number o date2019-04-17

The ROK government welcomes WTO ruling over Korea’s restrictions on Japanese food imports

The Government of the Republic of Korea appreciates and welcomes the April 11 decision by the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization that Korea’s restrictions on Japanese food imports are consistent with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). To read the findings of the WTO Appellate Body:https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news19_e/495abr_e.htm date2019-04-12

Foreign direct investment pledged to Korea total $3.2 billion in Q1

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on April 11 that foreign direct investments (FDIs) pledged to Korea in the first quarter of this year decreased 35.7 percent year-on-year to USD 3.2 billion. The FDIs that actually arrived in Korea over the same period declined 15.9 percent to $2.6 billion.Key factors that contributed to the decrease of FDI commitments include a slowdown in global investment flows, a strong base effect, and tax reductions for foreign investors that expired at date2019-04-11