SEOUL, July 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports volume rose for the eighth consecutive month thanks to demand for locally-made semiconductors, central bank data showed Tuesday.
The export volume index rose 2.3 percent over the year to stand at 144.51 in June, keeping an upward momentum for eight straight months, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
Despite weak demand for overall electric and electronic devices, which declined 1.5 percent last month, exports of semiconductors surged 17.3 percent compared with a year earlier.
Shipments of precision machinery soared 30 percent on the back of robust demand for semiconductor equipment produced by South Korean companies.
Exports of general machinery posted a double-digit increase, while those for primary metal products and chemicals grew 3.5 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.
The exports value index jumped 11.2 percent in June from a year earlier due to higher prices of semiconductors.
In terms of volume, imports surged 11.2 percent last month, marking the fastest monthly growth in more than five years. The imports value index jumped 21.9 percent compared with a year ago.
