FX.co ★ South Korea Trade Surplus Beats Estimates

South Korea’s trade surplus jumped to USD 30.32 billion in July 2026 from USD 6.61 billion a year earlier, beating market expectations of USD 29.59 billion and marking the 18th straight month in the black, flash data showed. The sharp improvement came as export growth far outpaced that of imports. Exports surged 62.8% year-on-year to USD 98.89 billion, easing from a downwardly revised 70.7% increase in June, largely on the back of a strong rise in semiconductor shipments. Imports rose 26.5% from a year earlier to a record USD 68.56 billion, moderating from a downwardly revised 30.0% increase in June, supported by solid domestic demand.