(LEAD) Exports up 45.3 pct in 1st 10 days of Aug. on chips

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS details throughout)By Kang Yoon-seung SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports jumped 45.3 percent from a year earlier in the first 10 days of August, data showed Tuesday, on the back of strong global demand for memory chips. Outbound shipments reached US$21.3 billion in the August 1-10 period, compared with $14.6 billion tallied in the same period in 2025, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. It was the highest amount ever recorded for the first 10 days of August. Imports went up 23.1 percent on-year to $19.5 billion over the cited period, resulting in a trade surplus of $1.8 billion. By sector, exports of chips soared 155.4 percent to $9.95 billion, maintaining solid growth amid the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, the latest data showed. Chips accounted for 46.8 percent of the total exports over the period, up 20.1 percentage points from a year earlier. Exports of petroleum products also shot up 65.3 percent to $1.99 billion. Outbound shipments of automobiles, on the other hand, slid 80.9 percent to $182 million. By destination, exports to China more than doubled to $6.7 billion, while those to Vietnam jumped 45.4 percent to $2.39 billion. Exports to the United States, a vital trading partner, shed 0.2 percent to $2 billion. Cumulative exports through Monday this year came to $616.3 billion, up 50.3 percent from a year earlier. The total trade surplus so far this year stands at $169.5 billion. Containers are stacked at a port in the southeastern city of Busan on Aug. 6, 2026. (Yonhap) colin@yna.co.kr(END)