Korea posted a trade surplus for 12 straight months in January, driven by robust exports of ships and vehicles, the nation’s customs office said Tuesday.

The trade surplus amounted to $2.92 billion last month, according to data provided by the Korea Customs Service. This marked the 12th consecutive month of surplus since February 2010.

Exports totaled $44.68 billion, up 45.4 percent from a year earlier, while imports grew 32.4 percent on-year to $41.76 billion, the data showed. Sales of ships and vehicles led export growth. Exports of ships came to $6.76 billion, up 275.5 percent from the same month a year earlier, and vehicles saw a 55.2 percent increase to $3.07 billion.

Exports bound for European countries jumped 83.3 percent to $6.25 billion, while those for China grew 15.4 percent to exceed $10 billion. Shipments to the United States also rose 36 percent to $4.16 billion, the data showed. (Yonhap News)