South Korea logged a trade surplus for the 20th straight month in September despite shrinking exports, customs data showed Monday.
South Korea's exports came to US$44.71 billion last month, down 1.5 percent from the same month a year earlier. They are also down 3.4 percent from August, according to the data provided by the Korea Customs Services.
The country's imports shrank 3.6 percent on-year to $41.03 in September and fell 1.1 percent from the previous month, the data showed.
As a result, Korea logged $3.68 billion in a trade surplus last month, marking the 20th straight month of a surplus since February last year. During the January-September period, its cumulative trade surplus came to $31 billion.
Exports of oil products, passenger vehicles and mobile communications equipment declined 13.3 percent, 12.8 percent and 12.1 percent on-year in September. During the same period, exports of ships and semiconductors jumped 72.4 percent and 21.1 percent.
Exports bound for Latin American countries and China rose 5.1 percent and 1.4 percent, while those for Australia, the European Union and the United States fell 18.7 percent, 8.9 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, the data showed. (Yonhap News)
