Despite the increased market uncertainty due to the implementation of the U.S. government's tariff policy, semiconductor exports recorded the highest level ever for April.
According to the 'ICT import and export trends' announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 14th, in April, exports of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry amounted to $18.92 billion, up 10.8% compared to the same period last year. During this period, imports decreased by 2.4% year-on-year to $11.3 billion. As a result, the trade balance recorded a surplus of $7.61 billion.
The reason the overall export growth was maintained despite the expansion of U.S. tariff uncertainties is due to the semiconductor industry, the biggest export item in the ICT sector. Last month, the scale of semiconductor exports rose 17.2% year-on-year to $11.68 billion, breaking the previous record of $10.89 billion in 2022 and achieving the highest level for April ever. Additionally, exports in the mobile phone (up 28.6%) and communication equipment (up 3.5%) sectors also expanded.
In April, export trends by region showed increases in the United States (0.5%), Vietnam (13.4%), European Union (14.7%), and Japan (8.5%), but a decrease in China (including Hong Kong) (1.5%).
The Ministry of Science and ICT noted that 'semiconductors increased in exports due to the rebound in fixed prices for DRAM and the increased demand for high-value memory products such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and the fifth-generation DDR5 DRAM memory,' and added that 'exports of mobile phones continued to grow due to the rebound in finished goods exports and steady exports of parts to overseas production sites.'
It added, 'Communication equipment recorded a slight increase in exports due to strong demand for automotive and 5G equipment,' but also mentioned that 'displays saw a decrease in exports due to sluggish demand and adjustments to product shipment schedules, while computers and peripherals experienced a transition to a decrease in exports for the first time in 16 months due to temporary demand slowdown caused by sufficient inventory of storage devices (SSD).'