Exporters' sales outlook hits 3-year high for Feb.

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean exporters' sales outlook touched an over three-year high for February amid improving overseas sales of key products, central bank data showed Wednesday.

The business sentiment index (BSI) for local exporting companies' sales stood at 100 for February, up from 89 for January, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marks the highest reading since the 102 recorded in November 2017.

The index measures exporters' outlook for shipments. A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists.

A BOK official said exporting companies' business outlook appears to have improved for this month amid an upturn in exports of semiconductors, autos and communications equipment.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, South Korea's overseas shipments came to US$48.01 billion in January, up 11.4 percent from a year earlier.

South Korea's exports rose for the third consecutive month in January. Following a 3.8 percent drop, exports rose 4 percent in November and 12.6 percent in December.

January represented the second straight month of a double-digit increase, the first such record in 40 months.

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