SEOUL, KOREA - Korea's overall exports are forecast to improve slightly in the fourth quarter of this year. Major industries, however, are expected to face mixed fortunes.The semiconductor industry is likely to enjoy strong exports, while the automobile industry is expected to report sluggish shipments due to the continuing strength of the Korean won.
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on October 9 that the export leading index for the fourth quarter of this year stood at 52.1, up 0.8 percentage point from a quarter ago. If this index is above 50, it indicates that exports will be stronger than the previous quarter.
By item, the export leading index for semiconductor, petrochemical and home electronics stood at 63.2, 56.6 and 56.4, respectively, while those for wireless telecommunications stood at 51.7. The index for automobile and steel is below 50, standing at 42.0 and 43.8, respectively.
