FX.co ★ SK Stocks Flat Ahead of US-China Tariff Truce Deadline

On Monday, the benchmark KOSPI index remained stable around the 3,210 mark, maintaining its levels following last week's gains. This stability came as investors exercised caution ahead of the expiration of the 90-day tariff truce between the United States and China, set for Tuesday. There is growing concern over the potential for renewed U.S. tariff increases on Chinese imports, which could disrupt global supply chains. The mood was further dampened by trade data indicating that South Korean exports fell by 4.3% year-on-year in the first ten days of August, totaling $14.7 billion, while imports plummeted by 13.6% to $15.9 billion, leading to a trade deficit of $1.2 billion. This decline was largely driven by reduced exports in the petroleum and automobile sectors. In the corporate arena, significant declines were observed in companies such as Hanwha Ocean (-6.54%), Naver (-1.53%), Samsung Electronics (-0.70%), and Hyundai Motor (-0.24%). Conversely, Doosan Enerbility (3.92%), SK Hynix (2.44%), and LG Energy Solution (0.92%) recorded gains.