The national trade surplus from January to September has reached an estimated record of 31 billion U.S. dollars.

The Knowledge Economy Ministry held a Monday meeting chaired by Minister Choi Kyung-hwan with export firm representatives and related officials to examine the country’s export and import trends.

The ministry expects 2009 exports through September will decrease 21 percent year-on-year, and imports by 33 percent, for an all-time high trade surplus of 31 billion dollars.

The highest figure to date for the January to September period was 28-point-nine billion dollars in 1998, posted at the tail end of a financial crisis.

The ministry also said Korea’s global ranking in exports rose three slots to ninth this year.

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