South Korea’s exports in April climbed more than 24 percent year-on-year, posting growth for the sixth consecutive month.
 
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Monday that last month’s exports are estimated to total 51 billion U.S. dollars.
 
It's the second largest monthly total since October 2014 when exports reached 51-point-six billion dollars. April also marked the sixth consecutive month for export growth, the first time since December 2011.
 
Last month’s exports also posted double-digit growth for the fourth straight month for the first time since September 2011.
 
Ships, semiconductors and general machinery were among the industries leading the growth. Ships, in particular, posted a record seven-point-one billion dollars.
 
Exports to most regions surged, excluding the Middle East. In particular, exports to China posted double-digit growth for the fourth consecutive month.
 
Meanwhile, South Korea’s imports in April grew 16-point-six percent to 37-point-eight billion dollars. This resulted in a trade surplus of 13-point-three billion dollars for a surplus streak of 63 consecutive months.