AI Memory Boom Drives South Korea’s Chip Trade Surplus to Record
Accelerating investment in artificial intelligence data centers has intensified demand for high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, and DRAM. South Korea is positioned at the center of that expansion through Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, two of the world’s leading memory-chip producers. Semiconductor shipments have consequently become a key pillar of the country’s exports and economic growth, while serving as a gauge of global spending on AI infrastructure.
South Korea’s chip trade surplus climbed to a record of about $35 billion in June as strong demand from global AI data centers boosted semiconductor exports. HBM and DRAM supplied by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were the main drivers of the increase. The milestone shows how rapidly AI-related memory demand is feeding through to the country’s trade balance and strengthening the semiconductor industry’s contribution to the broader economy.
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The history behind this eventAI-Fueled Semiconductor Trade Makes South Korea Taiwan’s Largest Trade-Deficit Partner
Rapid growth in AI computing has created a division of labor between Taiwan and South Korea across the semiconductor supply chain. South Korean companies supply high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, while Taiwanese firms combine advanced chips with packaging technology to assemble AI GPUs. The partnership supports global AI infrastructure while reshaping bilateral trade flows and deficit rankings.
According to Taiwan Ministry of Finance statistics, Taiwan imported large volumes of South Korean-made HBM and other semiconductor components throughout 2025, widening its trade deficit with South Korea to a record $37 billion. South Korea consequently became the largest source of Taiwan’s trade deficit, reflecting how demand for AI chips is also driving growth in cross-border supply-chain transactions.
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