Exports up 52% in first 20 days of July on robust chips

South Korea's exports rose 52.3 percent from a year earlier in the first 20 days of July as overseas shipments of semiconductors nearly tripled amid the ongoing artificial intelligence boom, customs data showed Tuesday.

Outbound shipments reached $54.9 billion in the July 1-20 period, compared with $36 billion tallied in the same period last year, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

Imports went up 20 percent on-year to $42.7 billion over the cited period, resulting in a trade ...