LS Eco Energy (formerly known as LS Cable & System Asia) has become the first Korean company to sign a large-scale long-term rare earth purchase contract in Vietnam. The contract signing is expected to stabilize LS Eco Energy’s rare earth supply chain by diversifying import sources of rare earth tha
Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical, a leading biotechnological and pharmaceutical company in South Korea, is poised to achieve a nearly sevenfold increase in operating profit in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the same period the previous year. This remarkable growth is attributed to the tech
Korea’s current account has been in surplus for seven consecutive months as its exports recovered.Korea’s current account surplus stood at US$4.06 billion in November last year, according to provisional balance of payments statistics released by the Bank of Korea on Jan. 9. It had been in surplus fo
With the re-addition of Guatemala, the only Central American country that had previously withdrawn from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea and Central American nations, the FTA has reached its final completion.The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) announced that it formall
In 2023, overseas construction orders totaled US$33.31 billion, exceeding US$30 billion for the fourth consecutive year. However, it is just short of the target of US$35 billion.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) on Jan. 8, 321 Korean overseas construction compa
The big three Korean shipbuilders -- HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Hanwha Ocean -- are expected to lower their annual order targets for 2024 compared to last year. According to a recent industry report, HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding intermediate holding comp
Starting from the second half of this year, South Korean companies will have the option to settle export and import payments in Korean won when engaging in trade transactions with certain countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This move is expected to allow businesses to
Three mid-sized Korean-based automakers -- GM Korea, KG Mobility, and Renault Korea Motors -- exported eight out of every 10 units they sold last year, according to industry sources. These three companies, which exited the tunnel of losses by expanding exports, plan to solidify their rebound momentu
Hanwha Aerospace will borrow 400 billion won (US$304 million) and pay off all of its debts with the funds. Analysts say that the company will feel the burden of investing 1.3 trillion won to acquire Hanwha Ocean in 2023 more acutely.Hanwha Aerospace announced on Jan. 5 that it has finalized the issu
The Korean government has set a year-on-year increase of 8.5 percent in exports as a target for 2024 compared to last year. It has also set a target to begin an era of US$700 billion in exports in 2024. The key will be the recovery of semiconductor exports and exports to China blamed for a drop in K
Blueprints of a submarine designed by Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) have been leaked to Taiwan, with the police currently investigating the matter. The leaked submarine blueprints pertain to the DSME1400 model, a variant of the 209-class KSS-1 submarine. Three of t
Semiconductor stocks including those of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix fell altogether.On the KOSPI and KOSDAQ stock market on Jan. 3, stocks of semiconductor giants and even companies producing materials, components, and equipment for chipmakers fell due to an anti-China export control issue invo
The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) has announced that as of Dec. 22, the container traffic at Incheon Port has surpassed 3.35 million TEU and is projected to approach a total of 3.45 million TEU. This figure is expected to set a new record high.Notably, the export performance of used cars is anticipat
The demand for spandex, a functional fiber known for its strength and elasticity and widely used in clothing such as hiking apparel and leggings, is showing signs of recovery. This has led to Hyosung TNC’s spandex facilities operating at over 90% capacity.Industry sources reported on Jan. 2 that the
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on Jan. 2, 2024, that it has completed the delivery of 12 FA-50GF aircraft to Poland just 15 months after signing the export contract.KAI stated, “After signing a contract in September 2022 for the export of 48 FA-50 jets to Poland, the first and second FA-
LS Mtron is expediting its penetration of the U.S. market by securing an agricultural machinery export hub in central Texas in the United States.According to industry sources on Jan. 1, LS Mtron will complete a tractor logistics center and assembly plant in Palestine, Texas, in February. The facilit
South Korea recorded a trade deficit of US$9.97 billion last year, marking the second consecutive year of deficit since 2022. However, the trade deficit in the past year contracted compared to 2022 when it was US$47.78 billion, primarily due to the recovery in exports in the latter half of the year.
In December of last year, domestic semiconductor exports recorded the highest annual growth rate yet. The prices of memory semiconductors, the main export products of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, have consistently been on the rise.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy on Jan.
For the first time ever, China has become the world’s number one auto exporter. This is because China increased sales in Russia where carmakers of Western countries, including South Korea, have left the market and enjoyed a sharp increase in electric vehicle sales, which led to a spike in China’s ca
Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have finalized negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). The Korea-GCC FTA is Korea’s twenty-fifth FTA and the second with the Arab world after the Korea-United Arab Emirates (UAE) Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). As Korea has gain