The nation’s exports of information and communication technology(ICT) products topped 20 billion dollars for the first time ever last month. 

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Monday, exports of ICT goods grew 15-and-a-half percent on-year in August to 20-point-19 billion dollars. 

It marked the first time for the figure to surpass 20 billion dollars since January 1996 when related statistics began to be compiled. The previous high of 19-point-two billion dollars was recorded in September of last year.

By items, exports of semiconductors surged more than 30 percent on-year, thanks to strong sales of memory chips, to stand at a record eleven-point-64 billion dollars.

Exports of cell phones, on the other hand, slipped 19-point-seven percent due to heated global competition, to amount to one-point-32 billion dollars. It marked the first time in four months for such exports to witness a drop. 

Meanwhile, imports of ICT products for last month grew point-four percent to eight-point-65 billion dollars, resulting in a surplus of a record eleven-point-54 billion dollars.