East Asia Econ

Korea – exports up again in April

Trade data for the first 10 days are volatile. But the April data are still worth highlighting. They show strong exports and a rising trade surplus, which offers a contrast with the BOK's concerns about the cycle, and the market's worries about the KRW.

Paul Cavey

Apr 13, 2026 • 2 min read

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Last week, next week

Four developments stand out: the return of inflation in China; cycle nervousness in Japan and Korea; that's despite a continued strong AI cycle that is boosting exports in Korea and Taiwan; and the visit of the KMT chair to China, the importance of which depends on Trump's meeting with Xi.

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East Asia Today

A busy day today, with CPI data for China, PPI for both China and Japan, foreign trade data in Taiwan, and a monetary policy meeting in Korea that was more interesting than I'd been expecting.

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Taiwan – export surge continues

Exports in March were strong again. There aren't yet signs of the Iran war derailing the chip cycle, and while energy imports will increase more quickly, the impact on the trade surplus will be limited. The outlook for Taiwan as of now is resilient growth and higher inflation.