SEOUL, April 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export of information and communications technology (ICT) products hit a record high last month, thanks to soaring semiconductor demand, government data showed Tuesday.
The ICT products shipment surged 112 percent from a year earlier to 43.51 billion U.S. dollars in March, surpassing 40 billion dollars for the first time, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
The ICT export continued to go up for the 14th consecutive month since February 2025.
Chip export skyrocketed 151.4 percent to 32.84 billion dollars, topping 30 billion dollars for the first time, driven by global investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure that led to higher demand and price hikes for memory chips.
Display panel shipment retreated 9.3 percent to 1.49 billion dollars, but mobile phone export jumped 57 percent to 1.54 billion dollars on the back of strong demand for new products.
Shipment for computers and peripherals spiked 174.1 percent to 3.59 billion dollars, but communications equipment export reduced 5.8 percent to 210 million dollars.
Import of ICT products gained 32.2 percent over the year to 16.15 billion dollars in March, sending the trade surplus in the ICT industry to 27.36 billion dollars.
Import of chips, mobile phones and computers registered a double-digit growth, while those for display panels and communications equipment increased in single figures. ■