South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) said Wednesday that semiconductor exports are expected to exceed $165 billion this year, marking an all-time high and the second consecutive year of record performance. From January to September, chip exports totaled $119.7 billion, up nearly 17% from a year earlier, accounting for 23% of the country’s total outbound shipments valued at $519.7 billion.

MOTIR attributed the increase to robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers and a recovery in memory prices, noting that semiconductors remain the nation’s top export category. It said South Korea would continue advancing its competitiveness in