South Korea exports up, tariff risks loom

South Korea's March exports grew for a second month but missed market expectations, suggesting a softening outlook as a global trade war triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariffs raises uncertainty for manufacturers.

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Fresh US tariffs on automobiles will kick in this week, and Trump has also threatened duties on chip imports and reciprocal tariffs on all countries, rattling investors worried about a sharp global economic downturn.

Outboundshipments from Asia's fourth-largest economy stood at $58.24 billion, up 3.1 per cent from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday. They compared with a median 3.5 per cent increase forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.