South Korea's trade surplus increased to USD 6.61 billion in July 2025, up from USD 3.62 billion in the same month a year earlier, and surpassed market expectations of USD 5.36 billion, as exports rose more than imports, preliminary data showed. Exports grew 5.9% year-on-year to a seven-month high of USD 60.82 billion, exceeding market expectations of 4.6% growth and accelerating from a 4.3% rise in the previous month. This marked the fastest pace since last December, primarily driven by robust semiconductor shipments, which surged 31.6% year-on-year to a record high of USD 14.71 billion. Meanwhile, imports rose 0.7% in July, slowing from a 3.3% gain in June and falling short of market expectations for a 2.0% increase. Non-energy imports advanced 3.7% from a year earlier, while energy imports dropped by 11.3%.