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Exports plunged in April due to the impact of Corona 19. Restriction measures in the United States and Europe have led to a decrease in demand and a decrease in production, and exports of automobiles, auto parts, and smartphones have been particularly hard hit.

Reporter Hye-Min Kim will deliver.

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Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said last month exports were only $ 3.69 billion, down 24.3% from the same month last year.

Under the influence of Corona 19, exports to major markets such as the United States, the European Union and the Southeast Asian Nations have all decreased.

Due to shrinking demand and reduced production due to restrictions from European countries, average daily exports to the EU in April remained at the lowest level of $ 200 million this year.

By item, automobiles fell 36.3%, car parts fell 49.6%, semiconductors fell 14.9%, and smartphones fell 43.6%.

However, as the demand for Korean defense products increased, bio-health exports increased 29%, and computer exports surged 99.3% due to the spread of telecommuting.

Export prices fell 15% due to the plunge in oil prices.

An official from the Ministry of Industry explained, “Exports in April were affected by strong blockades in developed countries such as the United States and Europe since mid-March, and factory shutdowns.”

Revenue fell 15.9% to $ 37.8 billion.

The government believes that the domestic manufacturing industry is operating normally without a shutdown, and intermediate goods and capital goods have been steadily imported, so the decline compared to exports has been modest.

As a result, the trade surplus ended with a deficit of $ 950 million and the surplus march stopped in 99 months.