"Semiconductors Lead"... ICT Exports Record Second Highest in First Half

[Financial News]  
Thanks to record-breaking semiconductor exports in the first half, ICT exports recorded the second highest in history.
According to the '2025 First Half ICT Export and Import Trends' announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 14th, exports in the first half of this year were 115.16 billion dollars, up 5.8% from the same period last year. Imports were 70.92 billion dollars, up 5.0% from the same period last year. The trade balance recorded a surplus of 44.24 billion dollars.
By item, semiconductor exports were the highest ever at 73.31 billion dollars, up 11.4% from the same period last year. The demand for high-value-added memory products such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and DDR5 remained high due to the expansion of AI server investment, and the fixed prices of semiconductors such as DRAM and NAND rebounded. 
The demand for solid-state drives (SSD) used in data center storage devices also increased, with computer and peripheral device exports rising 10.8% to 6.64 billion dollars.
Mobile phone exports increased by 9.1% to 6.08 billion dollars, driven by strong sales of the Samsung Electronics S25 series and increased demand for modules and parts for finished products. 
On the other hand, display exports fell by 13.9% to 8.7 billion dollars. Telecommunications equipment also decreased by 2.5% to 1.16 billion dollars. 
By region, exports increased in Taiwan (89.6%), the United States (14.5%), Vietnam (10.0%), India (9.3%), and Japan (5.7%), but decreased in China (-11.5%) and the European Union (-2.7%). 
In the first half, ICT imports decreased by 7.8% from China due to supply chain diversification and reduced dependence on China, while imports from alternative sources such as Taiwan (12.6%) and Vietnam (15.5%) increased.
Meanwhile, ICT exports in June were 22.03 billion dollars, up 4.7% from June last year despite uncertainties in U.S. tariff policies. Exports to the U.S. increased by 22.6% to 3.07 billion dollars, with semiconductor (40.1%) and mobile phone (227.2%) exports increasing significantly, marking 20 consecutive months of growth. Semiconductor exports recorded the highest ever for two consecutive months at 14.98 billion dollars.

aber@fnnews.com Park Ji-young Reporter