South Korea exported $12.198 billion of semiconductors in the first ten days of October, the most for that period of any October, according to preliminary data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS) published on 12 October 2026 [1].
CONFIRMED (official preliminary data from the Korea Customs Service).
The figures
For 1 to 10 October 2026, KCS reports [1]:
- Total exports of $26.104 billion, up 102.0% on the same period last year. KCS says this is the highest October 1 to 10 figure on record. The previous high was $15.3 billion in October 2024.
- Imports of $22.316 billion, up 65.5%.
- A trade surplus of $3.788 billion.
- Semiconductor exports of $12.198 billion, up 170.9%, also a record for the October period. Chips made up 46.7% of all exports, 11.9 percentage points more than a year earlier.
Exports to China rose 167.3%, to the US 159.9% and to Vietnam 89.7% [1][2].
Why the jump looks so large
This year’s ten days contained 5.5 working days. Last year’s had 3.5. Two extra working days mean more goods leave ports, so a straight year-on-year comparison overstates the growth.
The fairer measure is exports per working day. On that basis, average daily exports were $4.75 billion, up 28.5% [1]. That is still a strong rise, and KCS says it is the highest daily average for any 1 to 10 period on its records. But it is far smaller than the headline 102%. KCS itself warns that these short-period statistics can be affected by changes in the number of working days [1].
What the data does not say
The numbers are preliminary. KCS says some figures may be corrected before annual statistics are finalised in February 2027 [1].
The semiconductor line covers all chips. It is not a count of AI chips, and the release gives no split by memory, processors or company. Neither KCS nor the Asia Business Daily report gives a reason for the rise, so TSN does not offer one.
Ten days is also a short window. The full-month October figures will give a clearer picture.
Sources
- Korea Customs Service, “2026년 10월 1일 ~ 10월 10일 수출입 현황 [잠정치]” (Exports and imports, 1 to 10 October 2026, preliminary), press release and PDF, 12 October 2026, 09:00 KST. https://www.korea.kr/briefing/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156784799
- Asia Business Daily, “South Korea’s Exports Hit ‘Record High’ Again This Month; Semiconductor Exports Up 170.9% from Oct. 1-10”, 12 October 2026. https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026101209183424033
