Large Companies Drive Export Surge
A recovery in the semiconductor market and expanding investment related to artificial intelligence, or AI, pushed South Korea’s large companies to record export results. The share of total exports accounted for by large companies also rose by more than 10 percentage points from a year earlier, reinf
In July 2026, large South Korean companies drove a record export surge, propelled by a recovering semiconductor market and burgeoning artificial intelligence investment. According to the Korea Customs Service, total exports reached $99.0 billion, marking a 63.0% increase from the previous year's July. Notably, large companies' exports soared to $74.4 billion, an 90.7% growth rate, a 10.9 percentage point rise from the prior year.
Semiconductors led this surge, with large company exports jumping 228.3% year-over-year. Computer peripherals followed, with a 389.5% increase. Other sectors showing growth included ships, wireless communication devices, and petroleum products. Mid-sized and small businesses also saw export growth, albeit less impressive, with mid-sized exports rising 8.7% and SMEs increasing 17.9%.
The export structure became increasingly dominated by large firms, which accounted for 75.2% of total exports, up from 64.3% a year earlier. Major export hubs, such as Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province, saw significant growth, with large company exports surging 196.8% and 159.9% respectively. Globally, large companies experienced broad-based growth in key markets, including China (+136.9%), the United States (+90.1%), and Vietnam (+125.0%).
However, mid-sized companies struggled in some Asian markets, like Taiwan (-45.3%) and Singapore (-2.7%). Imports also grew, with large company imports up 30.6% to $41.2 billion and mid-sized and SME imports rising 27.5% and 16.0%, respectively.
Written by urgent.news from BusinessKorea's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
