S. Korea's Exports Fall 0.2% in First 20 Days of November

South Korea's exports edged down 0.2% in the first 20 days of November as a sharp drop in outbound shipments of wireless devices was offset by a rise in semiconductors, latest customs data showed Monday. 
The country's exports totaled US$27.2 billion from November 1-20, down slightly from $27.3 billion tallied over the same period last year, (Yonhap) news agency reported citing the Korea Customs Service (KCS). 
Outbound shipments of mobile phones tumbled 26% on-year and those of cars fell 13.2% due to ongoing partial strikes at Kia Motors Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co.'s production halt of the Galaxy Note 7. 
On the other hand, South Korean chipmakers saw their exports rise 9% and home appliances manufacturers posted a 5.1% gain in their overseas sales. 
The data showed that imports also dropped 3.1% on-year to $24.1 billion over the 20-day period, resulting in a trade surplus of $3.2 billion. 
Asia's fourth-largest economy saw its monthly exports all fall 3.2% in October, marking the 21st month of negative growth since January last year.