The country's trade surplus could top $30 billion for a second straight month in July after exceeding the threshold for the first time a month earlier, Citigroup economist Jin-Wook Kim said Friday. He expects the surplus to come in at $31.90 billion, following a revised $36.10 billion in June.
Export growth could moderate but remain strong in July, with overseas shipments rising 65.7% from a year earlier in July, compared with a revised 70.7% increase in June, Kim noted.
Most analysts have said brisk semiconductor exports will likely continue to drive the overall export growth in South Korea, home to memory-chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, as the global artificial intelligence build-out keeps fueling demand for chips.
Preliminary government data showed July 21 that exports grew 52.3% from a year earlier for the first 20 days of July, driven by record chip exports for the month.
Taiwan
