SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export of information and communications technology (ICT) products rose for the 11th straight month, government data showed Monday.
The ICT products shipment grew 24 percent from a year earlier to 22.36 billion U.S. dollars in September, continuing to expand since November last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Semiconductor export spiked 36.3 percent to 13.63 billion dollars last month, keeping a double-digit gain for the 11th consecutive month on robust demand for chips used in artificial intelligence (AI).
Display panel shipment dwindled 5.1 percent to 1.9 billion dollars, but mobile phone export soared 25.1 percent to 1.71 billion dollars due to strong demand for newly launched smartphones.
Shipments for computers and peripherals more than doubled to 1.64 billion dollars, but communications equipment exports dropped 28.7 percent to 160 million dollars.
Import for ICT products climbed 15.9 percent over the year to 12.48 billion dollars in September, sending the trade surplus in the ICT industry to 9.88 billion dollars.
Chip import jumped 27 percent to 6.56 billion dollars, but display panel import retreated 15.2 percent to 360 million dollars.
Import for mobile phones and computers increased to 970 million dollars and 1.13 billion dollars each. ■