The Republic of Korea’s exports reached a record high in the third quarter, driven by robust shipments of semiconductors, according to government data released on Monday.

Outbound shipments for the July-September period totalled US$185 billion, up 6.5 percent from the same period last year, the Ministry of Data and Statistics reported.

It was the largest quarterly export figure since the ministry began compiling such data in 2010, Yonhap News Agency stated.

The increase also marks the second consecutive quarter of on-year growth, following a 2.1 percent rise in the second quarter.

The number of exporting companies rose 4.5 percent on-year to 69,808 in the third quarter.

By product type, outbound shipment of capital goods, led by semiconductors, increased 11.2 percent on-year to $111 billion, the data showed.

Consumer goods, led by automobiles, rose 4.9 percent on-year to $23.9 billion, ending four consecutive quarters of decline.