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According to the data released by the Export and Import Division of South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy, in April this year the country recorded a trade surplus of $4.41 billion. This was the third consecutive month that a trade surplus was recorded. 
 
In April, South Korea's exports climbed 31.5 percent year on year to $39.88 billion. The export volume in most key industries except shipbuilding was up significantly. In the month in question, South Korea's steel exports surged by 10.5 percent, its automobile exports rose by 61.8 percent, its household appliance exports increased by 45.8 percent, whereas the country's ship exports declined by 10.5 percent, all compared to April 2009.
 
Among the major export partners of South Korea, the country's exports to China increased by 50.4 percent, exports to the US rose by 28.5 percent, to Japan by 32.4 percent, to ASEAN countries by 42.4 percent, to the Middle East by 9.1 percent, to Latin America by 39.7 percent and to the European Union by 15.2 percent, despite the sudden eruption of the volcano in Iceland, while a decrease of 51.9 percent was recorded in its exports to Oceania, all compared to the same month last year.
 
Meanwhile, in April, South Korea's imports rose 42.6 percent year on year, reaching $35.47 billion. Inbound shipments of raw materials went up by 66.5 percent while imports of capital and consumer goods increased by 36 percent and 31.7 percent year on year, respectively.