Export expected to hit all-time high: Korea's June storage semiconductor exports reach $38-42 billion

Citrini analyst jukan posted on X platform, stating that driven by AI demand and supply shortages, South Korea's June storage semiconductor export value and unit price have risen simultaneously. According to trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service, as of June 20, 2026, the total export value of major storage products exceeded $23 billion, already surpassing 60% of the $37.16 billion recorded for the entire month of May.

Based on recent monthly growth in HBM, NAND, and SSD, total storage semiconductor exports in June are expected to reach between $38 billion and $42 billion, surpassing last month's record and hitting an all-time high. Export values and unit prices for all types of storage semiconductors rose simultaneously in June, with MCP (i.e., HBM) exports increasing by 51% month-over-month.

Driven by continued investment in AI data centers by global tech giants such as NVIDIA, the supply shortage of HBM3E and HBM4, centered around SK Hynix, persists. As wafers are concentrated on HBM production, the supply of general DRAM has relatively decreased, raising general DRAM unit prices to about two to three times those of the same period last year. Demand for NAND flash and SSDs is growing with the expansion of AI inference server construction, with both categories rising 25% to 28% month-over-month. The share of storage products in total semiconductor exports has increased from the previous 70% range to 90% this month. Combined exports of storage and system semiconductors reached $25.5 billion, with total June semiconductor exports estimated between $42 billion and $46 billion.

Park Junyoung, a researcher at Hanwha Investment & Securities, stated that South Korea's storage industry has recently been overcoming weaknesses by relying on two tools: long-term supply agreements and HBM. Even if the storage industry faces a downturn in profitability in the future, the decline in operating profit will not be as severe as in the past.