S. Korea's export dip signals how US tariffs can impact world

Its preliminary April trade data shows shipment value falls 5.2% from a year ago

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SEOUL - South Korea's preliminary April trade data gave an early glimpse into how US President Donald Trump's aggressive protectionist policies could dent shipments of export-reliant economies.

In one of the world's first trade figures for April to come out after Mr. Trump ratcheted up his tariff campaign, the value of South Korean shipments adjusted for working-day differences fell 5.2 percent from a year earlier in the first 20 days of April, according to data released on April 21 by the Customs office.

That compared with a 5.5 percent rise reported earlier for the full month of March.

It showed outbound shipments to the US and China were down 14.3 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, while exports to the European Union and Taiwan were up 13.8 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

The data will be closely watched for clues on how Mr. Trump's new tariffs are playing out in the real world.