South Korea logged a trade surplus for the 20th straight month in September despite shrinking exports, customs data showed Monday.

South Korea’s exports came to $44.71 billion last month, down 1.5 percent from the same month a year earlier. They are also down 3.4 percent from August, according to the data provided by the Korea Customs Services.

The country’s imports shrank 3.6 percent on-year to $41.03 in September and fell 1.1 percent from the previous month, the data showed.

As a result, Korea logged $3.68 billion in a trade surplus last month, marking the 20th straight month of a surplus since February last year. During the January-September period, its cumulative trade surplus came to $31 billion.

Exports of oil products, passenger vehicles and mobile communications equipment declined 13.3 percent, 12.8 percent and 12.1 percent on-year in September. During the same period, exports of ships and semiconductors jumped 72.4 percent and 21.1 percent. (Yonhap News)