South Korea's export growth accelerated in March, with the trade surplus hitting a monthly record high, providing relief to the trade-dependent economy. Strong demand for semiconductor shipments served as a key growth engine, while a sharp decline in naphtha shipments highlighted the impact of energy and shipping disruptions in the Middle East, prompting South Korea to impose temporary export restrictions on naphtha last week. Preliminary data showed that exports rose by 48.3% year-on-year to $86.13 billion in March, while imports increased by 13.2% to $60.4 billion, resulting in a record trade surplus of $25.74 billion. Rising chip prices and an additional working day were the main drivers of the robust trade growth in March.
