South Korea Chip Exports Smash Records as AI Demand Defies Geopolitical Headwinds
South Korea's total exports hit $86.13 billion in March, topping $80 billion for the first time on record and surpassing the previous peak of $69.5 billion set in December 2025. Semiconductors drove the surge, with chip exports more than doubling year-on-year to $32.84 billion - the first time they have exceeded $30 billion in a single month. The ministry attributed the boom to elevated memory chip prices fuelled by global investment in AI data centres, with 128GB NAND flash prices climbing more than sevenfold from $2.51 to $17.73 over the past year. Exports to China jumped 65% to $16.5 billion and exports to the US rose 47% to $16.34 billion, both powered by semiconductor demand.
Why it matters for Asia
These numbers confirm that Asia's AI hardware backbone remains in overdrive despite the instability stemming from the Middle East conflict and US tariff uncertainty. For enterprise buyers and infrastructure planners across the region, the surge in memory chip prices is a direct cost signal - AI workloads are consuming capacity faster than supply can expand, and procurement teams in Southeast Asia and India should expect continued upward pressure on component costs through the second half of 2026.
