The Trade Ministry's monthly report on the country's imports and exports shows.... that exports fell again in March when compared to the year before.<br />KIM Da-mi has the details. Korea's exports fell on-year for 4th consecutive month in March.<br />According to the Trade Ministry on Monday, the numbers for March fell by more than 8 percent on-year to 47-point-1 billion U.S. dollars. <br />The main reasons for the slump include falling semiconductor prices, China's slow economy and the lower number of working days due to the Lunar New Year holiday. <br />Semiconductor exports dropped 16-point-6 percent, and petrochemical goods were down almost 11 percent. <br />The ministry also pointed to a high base effect as another reason for the on-year decline, as the on-month figures showed a 5-point-5 percent increase in exports,... and the on-year drop was smaller than the decline of 11-point-4 percent in February.<br />The country’s imports also dropped 6-point-7 percent during the same period.<br />In particular, imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment fell 70 percent on-year as a result of local companies' less active facility investment. LNG imports were also down.<br />South Korea saw a trade surplus for the 86th month in a row,... at 5-point-2 billion U.S. dollars.<br />The Trade Ministry will hold an export strategy coordination meeting next Tuesday to discuss ways to enhance export marketing support. <br />KIM Da-mi, Arirang News. <br />
