SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korea logged trade deficit in the first 20 days of this month amid faltering export, customs office data showed Friday.

Trade deficit amounted to 4.95 billion U.S. dollars in the October 1-20 period, up from a deficit of 2.37 billion dollars tallied in the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.

For the past six months to September, the trade balance remained in red with deficits of 2.48 billion dollars in April, 1.6 billion dollars in May, 2.5 billion dollars in June, 5.09 billion dollars in July, 9.39 billion dollars in August and 3.78 billion dollars in September.

The continued deficit was attributed to sluggish export and growing import, caused by higher energy prices.

Export declined 5.5 percent over the year to 32.4 billion dollars for the first 20 days of October, while import gained 1.9 percent to 37.35 billion dollars.

Semiconductor export reduced 12.8 percent in the cited period, and shipment for steel products and mobile devices retreated in double figures.

Shipment for oil products and cars advanced in double digits, and auto parts export grew 9.8 percent.

Import for the country's three major energy sources, including crude oil, natural gas and coal, stood at 8.61 billion dollars in the first 20 days of October, up 8.5 percent from a year earlier.

Import from the United States increased 6.6 percent, but import from Saudi Arabia shed 1.4 percent. Enditem

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