SEOUL, July 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korean exports posted a double-digit growth for the first 20 days of July thanks to strong ship exports, customs data showed Friday.
Exports, which account for about half of the economy, reached 30 billion U.S. dollars in the July 1-20 period, up 22.4 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.
The country's overseas shipments had grown for eight months through June.
The daily average exports in the cited period reached 1.94 billion dollars, up 22.4 percent from a year ago.
Ship exports more than tripled, leading the overall export expansion. Exports for semiconductors and automobiles increased 47.7 percent and 11.8 percent each in the July 1-July 20 period.
Shipments of auto parts and telecommunication devices, including smartphones, fell 5.1 percent and 16.8 percent respectively. Smartphone exports maintained a downward momentum as local manufacturers increased production in overseas factories.
Exports to Vietnam and the European Union (EU) logged a double-digit increase, and those to China and the United States, South Korea's top two trading partners, rose 3.2 percent and 5.4 percent each.
Imports advanced 13.3 percent to 25.9 billion dollars in the cited period, sending trade surplus to 4.1 billion dollars.
