S.Korea's export logs double-digit growth in 1st 20 days of November

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export logged double-digit growth in the first 20 days of November on the back of the continued global demand recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, customs office data showed on Monday.

Export amounted to 39.9 billion U.S. dollars in the Nov. 1-20 period, up 27.6 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.

The outbound shipment continued to grow since November last year amid the recovering global demand from the pandemic shock across the world.

Semiconductor export jumped 32.5 percent, and oil products shipment more than doubled on expensive crude oil.

The shipment for computers and peripherals surged in double figures, but automotive export shrank 1.9 percent in the 20-day period.

Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, jumped 24.2 percent, and those to the European Union (EU), Vietnam, and Japan rose in double digits. Shipment to the United States climbed 8.9 percent in the period.

For the first 20 days of this month, imported soared 41.9 percent to 39.8 billion dollars on a yearly basis, sending the trade surplus to 0.1 billion dollars.

Import for crude oil and natural gas more than doubled due to the higher commodity price, but automotive import posted a double-digit slide in the 20-day period.

Import from China, the United States, Japan and Australia expanded in double figures, and import from Saudi Arabia more than doubled on solid demand for crude oil.