SEOUL – South Korea’s export growth slowed to a seven-month low in October, missing market expectations, in a sign of cooling global demand and US election uncertainty are undermining an already shaky economic recovery.
Outbound shipments from Asia’s fourth-largest economy rose 4.6 per cent from a year earlier to US$57.52 billion (S$76 billion) compared with gains of 7.5 per cent the month before and slowing for the third month, official data on Nov 1 showed. A Reuters poll of economists had tipped a 6.9 per cent rise.
It was the 13th straight month exports grew in annual terms though they were the smallest increase since March.
On average per working day, exports were down 0.2 per cent, their first fall since September 2023.
The trade data aligns with a survey showing South Korea’s factory activity shrank for a second month in October, with output falling by the most in 16 months.
The trade-reliant economy barely grew in the third quarter, despite signs of recovery in consumer spending, as exports weakened, raising the chance for more stimulus to support growth.
“Exports are slowing down,” said Mr Stephen Lee, chief economist at Meritz Securities.
“We had expected some support from industrial materials amid lower interest rates and a recovery in the global manufacturing sector, but it seems the recovery is being delayed due to heightened uncertainty over the US election and the global economic cycle itself,” Mr Lee said.
South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun said the government “is thoroughly assessing the potential impact” of next week’s US election on each sector, taking into account every possible scenario.
Shipments to the United States rose for the 15th straight month, at the same pace of 3.4 per cent as in the prior month, which was the slowest since August 2023.
Exports to China
