South Korea’s foothold in the Chinese market is narrowing while its dependency on imports from China is growing. The relationship that used to yield the most trade surplus for South Korea with China seems to have reversed.According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Jan. 28, Chin
The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) announced on Jan. 25 that it will establish and operate a “Saudi Desk” to support projects in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Desk of Korea Eximbank is expected to play a specialized role in handling business related to projects in
Experts are anticipating that the economic growth rate for South Korea will reach 2.2 percent this year. This aligns with the forecasts presented by the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), both indicating a 2.2 percent growth. It slightly surpasses the Bank of Korea’s projection of
Local customs officials have apprehended executives of a distribution company involved in the smuggling of U.S.-made semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) chips, classified as strategic items, into China after importing them for domestic use. This marks the first instance of customs discovering the
South Korea’s economy continued to grow slowly throughout the year of 2023 with an annualized growth rate in the low 1 percent range. Exports are expecting it to continue to improve, but a strong rebound is unlikely this year as domestic demand remains weak.The Bank of Korea (BOK) released prelimina
In 2023, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corp. racked up more operating profit than Samsung Electronics, the country’s No. 1 company by market capitalization. The two automakers also posted a double-digit operating profit margin, higher than the company Tesla that is leading a global electric car boom
Hyundai Oilbank, led by CEO Chu Young-min, has embarked on entering the North American market by supplying lubricant products, specifically the XTeer series, to the global industrial vehicle manufacturing company HD Hyundai XiteSolution.The supplied products include lubricants such as hydraulic oil
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has announced plans to achieve a US$700 billion export target this year. To attain this goal, the ministry will tailor export strategies per market by dividing them into key, strategic and emerging categories such as the United States, China, the E
Lotte Wellfood (formerly known as Lotte Confectionery) announced on Jan. 23 that it has begun to expand its exports to Mexico and Canada by entering and selling Zero and Crispy Rolls to Costco in Mexico and Pepero to Costco in Canada.Costco is a global distribution channel that operates 872 stores w
LIG Nex1 is set to participate in the “UMEX 2024” exhibition, focused on robotics and unmanned technologies, beingheld in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, from Jan. 23 for a duration of three days.The company will showcase locally optimized robot and unmanned systems at the UMEX 2024 exhibition,
In 2023, the volume of kimchi exports turned to growth, reaching a new record high. The global K-content craze had an impact on the increase in kimchi exports, experts say.According to the Korea Customs Service on Jan. 21, South Korea exported 44,041 tons of kimchi in 2023, up 7.1% from 41,118 tons
South Korea’s six major high-tech strategic industries have seen their shares in export markets plummet, losing ground to rival countries. The six strategic industries include semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, future vehicles, biotech, and robotics.The six industries’ exports in 2022 wa
South Korea should increase its semiconductor exports to China regardless of its relations with the United States in order to develop its semiconductor industry, a Chinese media outlet asserted.“Given that South Korea’s economy is heavily dependent on the semiconductor industry, it is understandable
Hana Bank announced on Jan. 17 (local time) that it has been honored with the “Best Trade Finance Provider in Korea 2024,” an award presented by the global financial and economic publication Global Finance.With the latest award, Hana Bank has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the “Best Trade Fin
South Korean battery companies are reportedly exploring the possibility of establishing a lithium processing plant in Chile, the world’s largest holder of lithium reserves. According to Bloomberg on Jan. 19 (local time), Invest Chile, the foreign investment promotion agency of the South American nat
Cho Hyun-sang, vice chairman of Hyosung Group, attended the World Economic Forum (WEF, also known as the Davos Forum) to communicate with global leaders and explore new business opportunities for Hyosung Group, a global company in the materials sector.This year marks the 54th World Economic Forum, h
A forecast has emerged predicting substantial growth in South Korea’s exports this year. On Jan. 18, the Bank of Korea (BOK) published an issue note titled “Assessment and Insights on Global Growth and Trade Post-Pandemic – BOK Issue Note.”The BOK foresees an expansion in South Korea’s export growth
SK telecom announced on Jan. 17 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Vetology Innovations of the United States, targeting the U.S. market with its product, named X Caliber, during the world’s largest veterinary event, VMX2024, currently underway in the U.S.X Caliber is a diagn
Korean companies doing business in China expect the Chinese market to improve in the second half of this year and beyond. In particular, they expect their sales to ascend from 2023.The largest number of the respondents (40 percent) expect an improvement in their business in China after 2024, followe
It has been revealed that South Korea completed defense exports to Poland last year surpassing 1.5 trillion won, including FA-50 light combat aircraft and K9 self-propelled howitzers.With the addition of such large-scale defense exports, Poland has swiftly emerged as South Korea’s fifth-largest trad