SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports to the United States were boosted by the bilateral free trade deal, also known as the KORUS FTA, for six months since such deal came into force in March 15, customs office data showed Sunday.
According to the Korea Customs Service, South Korean exports to the U.S. reached 29.1 billion U.S. dollars during the period of between March 15 and Sept. 7, up 3.7 percent from the same period of last year.
Imports from the U.S. contracted 7 percent to 21.2 billion dollars over the cited period, sending the trade surplus with the U.S. to 7.9 billion dollars during the six-month period after the KORUS FTA implementation.
The positive figure came as external conditions worsened amid the protracted European fiscal crisis and the global economic slowdown. The country's overall exports declined 4.3 percent over the cited period, while the trade surplus amounted to 16.8 billion dollars, among which around half came from the surplus with the U. S.
Export items, which benefited from tariff cuts or elimination, saw a surge in shipments to the U.S. Auto parts exports jumped 19 percent for the cited six-month period, with shipments of rubber goods expanding 15 percent. Exports in the textile, chemical and machinery sectors soared 22 percent over the same period.
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