Exports up 14.5% during first 20 days of July

Cargo ships anchored at Busan Port (Yonhap)

South Korea's exports rose 14.5 percent in the first 20 days of July from a year earlier, but the country suffered a trade deficit on higher global energy costs, customs data showed Thursday.

The country's outbound shipments stood at $37.25 billion in the July 1-20 period, compared with $32.52 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

Imports jumped 25.4 percent on-year to $45.35 billion during the cited period, resulting in a trade deficit of $8.12 billion. (Yonhap)