South Korean exports drop for 10th straight month

South Korea's exports fell for the 10th consecutive month in September due to protracted US-China trade tiff and deepening Korea-Japan spat, although the pace of decline moderated slightly. 

Exports or outbound shipments fell by 11.7% from a year earlier to $44.71 billion, following the prior month's revised 13.8% decline, according to preliminary data released by the trade ministry on Tuesday.

The latest reading missed a median market forecast for a 10.2% drop in exports, according to MarketWatch. 

Imports also decreased 5.6% from a year earlier to $38.74 billion, yielding a trade surplus of $5.97 billion.