SEOUL, March 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's daily exports kept rising for the first 10 days of this month due mainly to strong demand for semiconductors, customs office data showed Monday.
Exports, which account for about half of the export-driven economy, reached 13.7 billion U.S. dollars in the March 1-10 period, down 3.4 percent from the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.
The combined exports declined on less business days during the initial period, but the daily average exports gained 3.5 percent to 1.95 billion U.S. dollars.
The country's exports continued to grow for 16 months through February.
The daily exports increased as solid demand lasted for locally-made semiconductors, of which export surged 41.4 percent in the March 1-10 period.
Shipment of oil products rose 3.4 percent, but those for automobiles and ships declined 9.6 percent and 9.3 percent respectively.
Exports to China and the United States, South Korea's top two trading partners, grew 4.2 percent and 4.1 percent each, but those to the Middle East tumbled 39.8 percent.
Imports declined 11.2 percent to 13.7 billion U.S. dollars in the cited period, sending the trade surplus to 15 million U.S. dollars.
