The downward trend in exports continued as outbound shipments in the first 20 days of April declined by over ten percent from a year earlier.

According to tentative data from the Korea Customs Service on Friday, exports came to 32-point-37 billion U.S. dollars in the cited period, down eleven percent from the same period last year.

The average daily exports based on the number of working days also slipped by eleven percent with the number unchanged at 15 and a half days.

Exports of automobiles and ships jumped 58 percent and over 100 percent on-year, respectively, during the cited period, but shipments of semiconductors fell 39-point-three percent on-year.

Exports to the country's largest trade partner, China, slipped 26-point-eight percent, while shipments to the U.S. rose one-point-four percent.

Imports declined eleven-point-eight percent on-year to 36-point-59 billion dollars during the same period, resulting in a trade deficit of four-point-13 billion dollars.