S. Korea’s Exports of Virus Test Kits Rebound in August

COVID-19 testing reagents produced by a South Korean company. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports of coronavirus test kits rebounded in August as the world grappled with a resurgence of the novel coronavirus, data showed Wednesday.

In the first 20 days of August, exports of virus test kits stood at US$106 million, compared with $123 million in July.

Exports of virus test kits in August are expected to rise 10 percent from a month earlier, according to the customs data.

South Korea’s exports of coronavirus test kits had declined since their peak in April.

According to the data by the Korea Customs Service, the value of test kit exports came to $214 million in April, a more than eightfold jump from $24 million in March.

However, exports of test kits fell 15.3 percent on-month to $181 million in May and declined 19.5 percent on-month to $146 million in June.

In the first six months of the year, Korea exported $91.9 million worth of test kits to Brazil and $59.8 million worth of test kits to India.

Since July, India has been the biggest buyer of Korean test kits.

From July 1 and Aug. 20, India imported $89 million worth of Korean test kits, while Brazil bought $4 million worth, according to the data.

Globally, more than 29 million people have been infected by the new coronavirus, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, and more than 930,000 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

(Yonhap)