Korea’s exports hit a record high in the first quarter of 2026, driven by the strong growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers worldwide, the industry ministry said Wednesday. Outbound shipments for the January-March period came to $219.9 billion, up 37.8 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. It marked the highest quarterly export figure on record. Semiconductor exports were a key driver, spiking 139 percent on-year to $78.5 billion during the period as AI-related server investment surged. Within semiconductors, exports of dynamic random access memory jumped 249.1 percent on-year to $35.79 billion, while NAND flash chips surged 377.5 percent on-year to $5.39 billion. “Semiconductor prices are expected to remain high, so exports in May are also likely to remain strong,” Na Sung-hwa, a ministry official, said. “However, the Middle East conflict is an increasingly important variable, and it could pose obstacles in multiple ways.” Automobile exports edged down 0.3 percent to $17.2 billion, while shipments of trucks rose 6
Korea’s exports hit record high in Q1 on strong chip performance
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