Exports from South Korea grew 1.3% year-on-year to USD 58.4 billion in August 2025, easing from a downwardly revised 5.9% rise in the previous month and falling short of market forecasts for a 3% increase, partly due to the impact of US tariffs. This marked the third consecutive month of export growth, though it was the softest pace in the sequence, mainly driven by robust semiconductor shipments, according to preliminary data. Semiconductor exports — the country’s main export item — soared 27.1% yoy to a record peak of USD 15.1 billion. In contrast, exports to the United States plunged 12% year-on-year, reversing a 1.4% increase in July, as the effect of tariffs took hold.