S. Korea’s passenger car exports up 30% in Q3

South Korea's passenger car exports surged to $12.6 billion in value during the third quarter, up 30.1 percent from $9.7 billion a year earlier, helped by growing demand for eco-friendly vehicles.

The number of cars shipped came to 590,000, up 26.8 percent over the period.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s passenger car imports also moved up 17.7 percent to hit $3.5 billion.

Exports to the US jumped the most at 58 percent on-year in the third quarter, with those to Canada and Australia soaring 35.6 percent and 34.1 percent, respectively.

The average price of cars shipped during the cited period came to $21,273, up 2.6 percent on-year.

Electric vehicles and other eco-friendly cars accounted for a record high of $4 billion of the exports in the third quarter, up 42.3 percent on-year.