South Korea exports rise 48% in April on AI chip demand

12 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 1

Exports reached $85.89 billion, imports rose 16.7% to $62.11 billion, and the trade surplus widened to $23.77 billion, preliminary government data showed.
Semiconductor shipments, about a quarter of exports, drove growth as global technology companies expanded artificial-intelligence infrastructure, offsetting weakness in autos and steel.
The result matched economists' forecasts and followed a revised 49.2% export increase in March, signalling resilience despite Middle East conflict risks and rising input costs.

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