Corea del Sur Balanza Comercial

South Korea's trade surplus widened to USD 6.49 billion in December 2024 from USD 4.45 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations for a gain of USD 4.21 billion and marking the largest amount since September, flash figures showed. The latest result marked the 19th straight month of trade surplus, with exports growing 6.6% yoy, the strongest rise since June, to a 31-month peak of USD 61.38 billion. Meanwhile, imports rose 3.3% to the biggest numbers since March 2023 of USD 54.8 billion. For the full 2024, South Korea logged a trade surplus of USD 51.80 billion, recovering from a two-year run of deficits since 2022, when its trade balance fell into the red for the first time in 14 years. Despite the resilience, the trade-reliant economy appears to be slowing down as global commerce becomes increasingly uncertain, amid the risks of rising tariffs and a renewed US-China trade conflict following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential race in November.