Last month, information and communications technology (ICT) exports came close to $53.4 billion, the biggest ever for July. Demand for semiconductors and server solid-state drives (SSDs) rose on expanded AI investment, leading the export increase.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Thursday that July ICT exports rose 140.6 percent from a year earlier to $53.36 billion. Imports increased 37.3 percent to $18.3 billion, and the trade balance posted a surplus of $35.06 billion.

ICT exports stayed above $50 billion for a second straight month after June. The July figure is the largest ever for that month and is the second-highest monthly ICT export total after $57.29 billion in June.

ICT accounted for 54.0 percent of total exports, staying above half for a third straight month. The ICT trade surplus also remained above $30 billion for a third consecutive month, after $32.23 billion in May and $39.09 billion in June.

By item, semiconductor exports climbed 178.8 percent from a year earlier to $41.02 billion. Semiconductor exports increased for a 17th straight month, helped by higher memory prices from expanding server demand for AI and a larger supply of enterprise SSDs. The year-on-year growth rate also stayed above 100 percent for a seventh straight month.

In particular, memory semiconductor exports rose 276.9 percent to $35.68 billion. That reflected higher demand for commodity DRAM and high-value memory driven by expanded AI data centre construction. System semiconductor exports, however, slipped 0.7 percent to $4.68 billion.

Exports of computers and peripherals surged 353.9 percent to $4.94 billion, rising for a ninth straight month. Demand for SSDs for AI servers drove the increase. SSD exports rose 500.2 percent from a year earlier to $4.51 billion.

Mobile phone exports rose 62.6 percent to $1.55 billion. Exports of finished products increased 236.4 percent to $900 million, helped by pre-demand for new products and expanded sales of premium products. Display exports rose 0.5 percent to $1.77 billion, and telecom equipment increased 18.7 percent to $240 million.

By region, exports increased in most major destinations. Exports to China and Hong Kong rose 194.7 percent to $22.01 billion, and shipments to the United States climbed 187.0 percent to $7.78 billion. Vietnam rose 115.7 percent to $7.82 billion, and the European Union increased 202.0 percent to $3.61 billion.

July ICT imports rose 37.3 percent from a year earlier to $18.3 billion. Semiconductor imports rose 57.6 percent to $10.41 billion, while mobile phones increased 44.7 percent to $1.3 billion and computers and peripherals rose 31.0 percent to $1.8 billion. Display imports fell 12.3 percent to $390 million.