SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's August export volume kept double-digit growth, driven by an unyielding global demand for semiconductors and computer storage devices, central bank data showed Tuesday.
The export volume index surged 25.9 percent in August from a year earlier, accelerating from the 20.1 percent spike in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The index continued to go up for 10 straight months since November 2025.
In terms of volume, exports for computers, electronic and optical devices soared 30.5 percent on the back of surging demand for memory chips and solid state drives (SSDs) used for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Backed by soaring chip prices, the export value index jumped 75.8 percent in August compared to the same month last year.
The import volume index gained 12.0 percent year-on-year in August, maintaining a steady momentum after a 14.7 percent expansion in July, while the import value index spiked 23.1 percent.
The higher inbound shipment was led by semiconductors, computers and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The net terms-of-trade index for goods, or a ratio of export prices to import prices, was up 27.1 percent in August on a yearly basis due to a faster increase in export prices than import prices.
It marked the steepest gain since the central bank began compiling the data in 1988. ■
