S. Korea’s export volume rises for 7th month in March

South Korea’s export volume rose for the seventh straight month due to strong demand for locally-made tech products, central bank data showed Tuesday.

The export volume index edged up 0.1 percent in March from a year earlier, continuing to increase since September last year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

In terms of volume, the outbound shipment for computer, electronic and optical devices, including semiconductors, jumped 14.3 percent in March on a yearly basis, keeping an upward trend for the eighth consecutive month.

Export volume for textiles, primary metal products and machinery declined in double digits.
The export value index gained 1.1 percent in March compared to the same month of last year.

The import volume index decreased 9.0 percent in March from a year earlier, maintaining a downward momentum for the ninth successive month on lower demand for industrial and mining products.

The import value index dropped 13.2 percent last month, keeping a downward trend for the 13th straight month.

The net terms-of-trade index for goods, or a ratio of export prices to import prices, advanced 5.9 percent in March from a year earlier owing to the faster fall in import prices than export prices.