The business sentiment of South Korean manufacturers worsened for the second straight quarter amid Japanese export restrictions and the U.S.-China trade war.

According to  the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry(KCCI) on Monday, a recent survey of some 22-hundred manufacturers showed that the business survey index(BSI) came to 72 for the fourth quarter, a one point decline from the previous quarter.

The BSI fell for the second consecutive quarter after a gain in the second quarter. 

The BSI for export-oriented businesses fell three points on-quarter to 85, while the figure for domestic market-oriented firms dropped one point to 69 in the fourth quarter. 

The KCCI attributed the drop to a ten-month contraction in exports and a 37 percent decline in the operating profit of listed firms in the first half amid Japanese export controls and the U.S.-China trade war.