Mid-sized companies’ second-quarter exports hit a record $35.7 billion, led by biohealth

[Financial News] Exports by mid-sized companies reached a record high since data collection began, driven by growth in major product categories such as biohealth and semiconductors in the second quarter of this year.
According to “2026 Q2 Export Trends of Middle Market Enterprises,” released on the 21st by the Korea Federation of Middle Market Enterprises, exports by mid-sized companies totaled $35.75 billion in the second quarter, up 11.9% from the same period a year earlier. This was the highest quarterly figure since statistics began in 2022. Exports by mid-sized companies have exceeded $30 billion for five consecutive quarters.
Mid-sized companies accounted for 13.0% of total exports in the second quarter. A total of 2,061 mid-sized companies participated in exports.
Manufacturing drove the increase in exports. By sector, exports by mid-sized manufacturers rose 10.9% year on year to $31.19 billion. Exports in non-manufacturing sectors increased 18.9% to $4.56 billion.
In manufacturing, exports of primary metals rose 62.2% to $3.36 billion. Exports of medical and precision instruments increased 29.6% to $1.04 billion, while exports of chemicals grew 29.3% to $3.63 billion.
By contrast, exports of machinery and equipment fell 19.2% to $2.25 billion. Rubber and plastics exports also declined 5.2% to $920 million.
In non-manufacturing sectors, wholesale and retail exports rose 39.7% to $4.23 billion. Service exports also increased 53.3% to $210 million.
By product, biohealth recorded the highest growth rate, with exports rising 77.9% year on year to $1.05 billion. Petrochemical exports increased 24.2% to $2.2 billion, home appliance exports rose 18.9% to $340 million, and computer exports grew 18.4% to $60 million. Exports of petroleum products and semiconductors also increased by 16.7% and 10.8%, respectively. Semiconductor exports totaled $7.46 billion.
Exports increased in seven of the 10 major export regions. Exports to Oceania rose 29.2% to $630 million, while those to Latin America increased 26.0% to $1.91 billion. Exports to ASEAN grew 20.3% to $9.02 billion, and those to India rose 18.5% to $1.2 billion.
By contrast, exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) fell 20.8% to $410 million. Exports to the Middle East declined 15.3% to $780 million, while those to China fell 0.4% to $6.37 billion.
Kim Hyun-cheol, full-time vice chairman of the Korea Federation of Middle Market Enterprises, emphasized, “We will do our utmost to create an effective legal, institutional and policy environment that supports strengthening the global competitiveness of mid-sized companies, based on close communication with the government and the National Assembly, so that we can sustain the momentum of record-high exports.”

[email protected] Kim Hyun-cheol Reporter