Interesting economic signal emerging from South Korea - their export figures are projected to contract this year if you strip out semiconductor shipments from the equation.

This tells us something crucial: while chip demand remains robust (likely fueled by AI infrastructure and data center buildouts), traditional export sectors are facing headwinds. The semiconductor exception actually highlights how tech-driven industries continue diverging from conventional manufacturing.

For those tracking hardware supply chains - especially mining equipment and node infrastructure - this split matters. Chip availability stays strong, but peripheral component costs might shift as other export categories struggle. Worth monitoring how this imbalance plays out across Asian manufacturing hubs over the next quarters.