Exports dropped more than 13 percent in the first ten days of March due to a decrease in the number of working days.

According to preliminary data from the Korea Customs Service on Monday, the country’s outbound shipments marked 13-point-five billion U.S. dollars in the cited period, down 13-point-four percent year-on-year.

Average daily exports, however, increased eight-point-two percent, despite the number of working days decreasing by one and a half days to six.

Exports of semiconductors and ships soared 21-point-seven percent and 431 percent, respectively, from the same period last year, while shipments of automobiles and petroleum products slipped 33 percent and 28-point-three percent, respectively.

Imports plunged 28-point-six percent from the same period last year to around 14-point-eight billion dollars during the period, resulting in a trade deficit of one-point-26 billion dollars.