S.Korea's export posts double-digit growth for 20 days of December

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export posted a double-digit growth for the first 20 days of December on strong demand for locally-made ships and semiconductors, customs data showed Thursday.

Export, which accounts for about half of the economy, reached 31.5 billion U.S. dollars during the Dec. 1-20 period, up 16.4 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.

The country's overseas shipment kept rising for 13 months through November.

The daily average export amounted to 2.03 billion dollars in the Dec. 1-20 period, up 16.4 percent from a year ago.

In the cited period, exports for semiconductors and ships surged 80.5 percent and 48.8 percent respectively.

Oil product export advanced 29.2 percent, but those for automobiles and telecommunication devices tumbled 29.5 percent and 23.4 percent each.

Exports to China and the United States, South Korea's top two trading partners, rose 20.9 percent and 3.0 percent each, with export to Vietnam gaining 27.4 percent.

Demand for South Korean products from the European Union (EU) and the Middle East shed 5.9 percent and 16.1 percent respectively.

Imports climbed 19.5 percent to 29.4 billion dollars in the same period, sending trade surplus to 2.1 billion dollars. Enditem