South Korea’s Exports Drop on Tariff and Political Risks

South Korea’s exports contracted in May, underscoring growing challenges for the trade-reliant economy as global demand weakens and uncertainties deepen over Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff push.

The values of exports fell 1.3% from a year earlier, according to data released Sunday by the customs office. That compared with a decline of 2.4% estimated by economists in a Bloomberg survey. Average daily exports, which reflect differences in the number of working days in the reporting month, increased 1% from a year earlier. Both export figures point to weakness although they were not as bad as might be feared.