Exports of sanitary goods surge amid virus woes

Seoul

South Korean exports of sanitary goods such as hand sanitizers and coronavirus test kits surged last month in line with growing demand from overseas for such Korean-made goods, data showed on Sunday.

According to the data compiled by the trade ministry, outbound shipments of hand sanitizers surged sevenfold to reach $5.69 million last month, which is equivalent to 84 per cent of last year's $6.78 million in total, The South Korean News Agency (Yonhap) reported.

Exports of test kits for COVID-19 and others also more than doubled from a year earlier to $48.65 million last month. In 2019, the country's outbound shipments of such goods dropped 45 per cent on-year to reach $217 million.

But exports of facial protective masks came to nil last month as the country imposed bans on the outbound shipment of the goods.

In March, the country's exports edged down 0.2 per cent on-year, but overseas sales will face a bumpy road as the fallout from the novel coronavirus outbreak will hit the global economy hard down the road.