SEOUL, April 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export grew for the sixth consecutive month in March due to strong global demand for locally-made tech products, government data showed Monday.

Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, gained 3.1 percent from a year earlier to 56.56 billion U.S. dollars in March, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The outbound shipment kept an upward trend since October last year. The daily average export climbed 9.9 percent to 2.51 billion dollars last month.

Import dipped 12.3 percent over the year to 52.28 billion dollars in March, sending trade surplus to 4.28 billion dollars. Trade balance stayed in black for the 10th successive month since June last year.

Of the country's 15 major export items, seven products saw an expansion in outbound shipment.

Semiconductor shipment jumped 35.7 percent over the year to 11.67 billion dollars in March, maintaining an upward momentum for the fifth straight month.

It marked the largest in 21 months since June 2022 on higher price for NAND flash memory chips and solid demand for mobile and server chips.

Display panel export advanced 16.2 percent to 1.42 billion dollars last month on the back of higher demand for flat screens used for cars and the launch of new smartphones and OLED TVs.

Mobile phone export increased 5.5 percent to 1.12 billion dollars, registering the first rebound in four months, while computer shipment soared 24.5 percent to 890 million dollars on higher price for solid state drive (SSD).

Oil products shipment added 3.1 percent to 4.63 billion dollars owing to strong product demand, but petrochemical export shrank 2.2 percent to 4.03 billion dollars on lower product prices.

Automotive export retreated 5.0 percent to 6.17 billion dollars due to less working days, continuing to slide for the second successive month.

General machinery shipment dwindled 10.0 percent to 4.32 billion dollars, while those for steel products, auto parts and home appliances declined in single digits to 2.89 billion dollars, 1.91 billion dollars and 700 million dollars each.

Export to the United States expanded 11.6 percent from a year earlier to 10.91 billion dollars in March, continuing to rise for the eighth consecutive month.

Shipment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) fell in single figures to 9.45 billion dollars and 5.71 billion dollars respectively.

Export to Japan and the Middle East diminished in double digits to 2.12 billion dollars and 1.55 billion dollars each, but those to Latin American countries kept an upward trend for the third straight month to 2.70 billion dollars.

Regarding import items, import of three major energy sources, including crude oil, natural gas and coal, tumbled 24.4 percent over the year to 10.88 billion dollars in March.

Non-energy import lost 8.5 percent to 41.40 billion dollars in March compared with the same month of last year on lower demand for consumer goods such as cars and mobile phones. Enditem

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