South Korea’s auto exports hit a record high for the month of May, on the back of strong demand for eco-friendly cars.
 
According to the data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday, car exports increased 18-point-nine percent on-year to four-point-15 billion US dollars last month, an all-time high figure for any month of May.
 
The overseas sales figure surpassed the pre-pandemic level, despite the global supply crunch of automotive chips.
 
The increased sales are attributed to a rise in exports of eco-friendly vehicles, which accounted for 30-point-seven percent of Korea’s total auto exports in May in terms of value, up five-point-seven percentage points year-on-year.
 
By volume, outbound shipments of automobiles last month grew 19-point-one percent on-year to reach 182-thousand-869 units, with those of green cars jumping 45-point-one percent to 44-thousand-854 units.
 
Domestic sales of cars last month, meanwhile, decreased four-point-one percent on-year to 145-thousand-464 units, due to the continued delay in deliveries. Still, the May figure marks the highest monthly tally this year.