Data released by South Korean customs on Monday revealed that the nation's exports for the first 20 days of March increased by 50.4% compared to the same period last year, driven by strong overseas demand for semiconductors. During the period from March 1 to 20, exports reached $53.3 billion, setting a record high for that timeframe, up from $35.4 billion a year earlier. Imports for the same period grew by 19.7% year-on-year to $41.2 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $12.1 billion. By product category, semiconductor exports surged by 163.9% to a record $18.7 billion. This growth is primarily attributed to rising memory chip prices, fueled by robust demand from artificial intelligence servers. This figure represents the highest level of semiconductor exports ever recorded for the corresponding period. Chip exports accounted for 35% of South Korea's total exports during this period, an increase of 15.1 percentage points compared to the same timeframe last year. Exports of petroleum products rose by 49% to $3.2 billion. Automobile exports increased by 11.1% to $3.7 billion, while ship exports declined by 3.9% to $2.1 billion. By destination, exports to China, South Korea's largest trading partner, grew by 69% to $10.8 billion. Despite the impact of tariffs, exports to the United States still increased by 57.8% to $10.6 billion.