South Korea's annual trade volume appears to have topped one trillion dollars for the first time in three years.



That's according to tentative data from the Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry and the Korea Customs Service Thursday.



The annual trade volume topped the one-trillion-dollar mark for four straight years beginning in 2011 but fell short in 2015 and 2016.



South Korea is also expected to account for more than three percent in global trade for the first time ever.



Only nine countries, including South Korea, have posted trade volumes of over a trillion dollars. 



The United States and China surpassed three trillion dollars last year while Germany has reached the two-trillion mark.



Seoul's Trade Ministry attributed this year's brisk trade to diversification, higher value added products and even growth among export items and export markets. 



Semiconductor shipments rose 56 percent this year to 88 billion dollars while exports of general machinery posted an all-time high of 44 billion dollars.



Exports to China and the U.S. dropped in percentage from 37-point-six percent in 2014 to 36-point-five this year while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) became Korea's second largest export destination since 2011.