Home > Business > Industry

Auto exports fall more than 20% in February due to decline in working days: Data

Published: 18 Mar. 2026, 19:36

Hyundai Motor Group’s booth is seen at the International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo 2026 in Tokyo on March 17. [HYUNDAI MOTOR,KIA]

Korea's auto exports fell 20.8 percent on year in February due to a decline in the number of working days for the month, government data showed on Wednesday.

The combined value of automobile exports came to $4.8 billion last month, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

February's performance was a result of a drop in the number of working days for the month amid the Lunar New Year holiday, the ministry said.

The value of hybrid cars shipped overseas surged 23.5 percent to $1.21 billion. The combined exports of EVs and hydrogen-powered cars fell 8.2 percent to $670 million.

The ministry noted that the combined exports of environmentally friendly vehicles, including EVs, hydrogen-fueled cars and hybrid vehicles, for the first two months of the year were the highest on record at $4.5 billion.

By destination, exports to the United States fell 29.4 percent on year, and shipments to the European Union retreated 20 percent.

In contrast, shipments to Latin America surged 21.7 percent from the same period a year earlier, the data showed.

Domestically, 123,275 vehicles were sold last month, down 7.2 percent from a year earlier.

Yonhap