One in three export companies in South Korea are concerned that exports will decrease next year due to increased competition with China and the expected policy changes from the incoming U.S. Trump administration.

According to the "Regional Economic Report" released by the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Monday, a survey of 200 export companies conducted from September 9 to 30 showed that 32-point-five percent of the top 20 percent of companies by export size(40 companies) expect exports to decline next year.

Two-point-five percent of the companies said they predict exports to decline by more than ten percent, while ten percent of the companies forecast a five to ten percent decline and 20 percent said they expect a decrease of zero to five percent.

The remaining 67-point-five percent expect exports to continue to increase, with 32-point-five percent expecting a growth rate of zero to five percent, 27-point-five percent predicting a five to ten percent rise, and seven-point-five percent forecasting more than a ten percent increase.

In terms of negative factors related to exports next year, intensified competition due to China's overproduction and low-priced exports was cited as the biggest concern, followed by the economic downturn in major export markets and strengthened global protectionism, including the U.S.-China trade war.