SEOUL- South Korea’s exports for the first 20 days of October fell 2.9 percent from a year earlier, customs agency data showed on Monday.
Exports of semiconductors rose 36.1 percent, but cars fell 3.3 percent and petroleum products dropped 40.0 percent; by destination, shipments to China rose 1.2 percent, while those to the United States and the European Union fell 2.6 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively.
In September, exports rose for the 12th consecutive month, but the pace of growth cooled.
On average per working day, exports were up 1.0 percent.
The pace of South Korea’s export growth slowed in September, with shipments to the United States losing momentum, in an outcome that may support market expectations for an easing of monetary policy as early as next week.
Exports increased 7.5 percent in September from a year ago, decelerating from an 11.2 percent rise in the previous month, the customs service agency reported on Tuesday.
