South Korea's Export Decline in September Shows Signs of Improvement

South Korea's exports in September showed a slower decline than expected, marking the mildest drop in a year. Overseas sales fell 4.4% compared to an 8.3% loss in August, with exports to China decreasing by 17.6%, the slowest in 11 months. However, exports to the United States rose 8.5% and those to the European Union increased by 6.5%. Semiconductors saw a decline of 13.6%, the slowest in a year, while exports of cars, machinery, and ships experienced growth. South Korea's trade surplus for September was $3.70 billion, the widest since September 2021.