SEOUL, July 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's automotive exports rebounded in three months due to solid demand from Europe and Asia, government data showed Thursday.
Car shipment gained 2.3 percent from a year earlier to 6.34 billion U.S. dollars in June after reducing in single digits for the past two months, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The turnaround was attributable to soaring demand for eco-friendly vehicles as well as robust demand from Europe and Asia that offset weaker U.S. demand, caused by the U.S. tariffs imposition.
Auto exports to the U.S. tumbled 16.0 percent to 2.69 billion dollars, but those to the European Union (EU) and Asia spiked in double figures.
Shipment of eco-friendly sedans jumped 18.7 percent to 2.20 billion dollars in June compared with the same month of last year.
The number of exported vehicles came to 244,427 in June, down 3.1 percent from a year earlier. Auto parts shipment increased 2.5 percent to 1.80 billion dollars.
The number of vehicles manufactured in local factories slid 0.1 percent to 353,233 in June on a yearly basis.
The number of cars sold inside the country, including locally-made and imported vehicles, was 145,842 in June, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier. ■
