Export growth rate was 15.2% in January and 20.6% in February, import growth rate was 35.3% in January and 25.1% in February.
Exports in January increased by $9.28 billion (19.8%) to $56.13 billion, and imports increased by $14.19 billion (34.4%) to $55.46 billion in January, according to the Bank of Korea.
Overseas securities investment by Koreans increased by $5.59 billion in January, which is the 22nd consecutive month of increase since April 2020 in the early stages of the coronavirus. It decreased sharply to 1/5.
The Bank of Korea's current account surplus of $1.81 billion in January was dependent on a surplus of $2.32 billion in transportation.
The surge in the transportation balance was recorded as the Shanghai Container Freight Index (SCFI) surged 76.5% from the same month a year ago, and the surplus expanded by $1.38 billion in January compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching an all-time high.
In January, the deficit in the service account fell sharply from a deficit of $933 million a year ago to a deficit of $450 million as the transportation account turned to a surplus.
In January, the balance of goods decreased by USD 4.9 billion compared to the same month of the previous year, and imports of energy products increased by 121.8% compared to the same month of the previous year to reach an all-time high of USD 18.15 billion. Exports in January were petroleum products (87.1%) and steel products (39.1%) Semiconductors (23.7%), passenger cars (2.9%) increase, and ships (-79.1%) decrease. In January imports increased by 34.4% from the same period a year earlier, coal surged 213.8%, crude oil (86.9%), gas (187.4%) and petroleum It was the 13th consecutive month of increase in raw materials such as products (70.3%) and 67.4%, and consumer goods (17.2%) and capital goods (6.8%).
The trade balance of the Korea Customs Service grew from a deficit of $500 million in December last year to a deficit of $4.834 billion in January of this year, and in February reached a surplus of $841 million thanks to strong exports of semiconductors and petroleum products. Foreign domestic securities investment increased by $ 690 million during the month of the $ 8.25 billion increase in stock investment, which sharply decreased to one-fifth from $ 3.17 billion in December of last year. Instead, bond investment increased by $ 7.5 billion. An increase of $60 million, the increase expanded from $3.09 billion in the previous month. Domestic investment in overseas securities increased by $5.59 billion, an increase of 22 months in a row since April 2020, in the early stages of the coronavirus, with stocks of $4.84 billion It is the overwhelming proportion of the increase, and the stock increase is the 29th consecutive month since September 2019.
Foreign bond investment by Koreans increased by $750 million in January, an increase of two-fifths from $1.95 billion in the previous month.