S. Korea ranks 12th in exports, 10th in imports: WTO

BRUSSELS, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea ranked among the top 10 importers and stood 12th in exports last year, a report by the World Trade Organization said Wednesday.

According to the World Trade Report 2009, South Korea became the world's
10th-largest importer with US$435 billion, displacing the Netherlands to 11th
place. Korea's advance was the only change in the ranking of the top 10
importers, it said.
Korea's exports reached $422 billion, accounting for 2.6 percent of world
exports. The country's imports made up 2.7 percent of the global total.
The report did not include North Korea, which is not a member of the World Trade
Organization.
Germany retained its position as the world's leading merchandise exporter with
its exports worth $1.47 trillion, or 9.1 percent of the global total. China
followed in second with $1.43 trillion, or 8.9 percent. The United States was
third with $1.3 trillion (8.1 percent), followed by Japan with $782 billion (4.9
percent) and the Netherlands with $634 billion (3.9 percent)
In the imports sector, the U.S. was by far the largest with $2.17 trillion, or
13.2 percent of the world's volume. Germany was second with $1.21 trillion (7.3
percent) and China with $1.13 trillion (6.9 percent). Japan imported $762 billion
(4.6 percent) and France bought $708 billion (4.3 percent).
World merchandise exports increased by 15 per cent in 2008, to 15.8 trillion,
while exports of commercial services rose 11 per cent to 3.7 trillion.
The portion of developing economies in world merchandise trade set new records in
2008, with exports rising to 38 per cent of the world total and imports
increasing to 34 per cent, the report said.