Seoul, June 01 (QNA) - South Korea's exports dropped 1.3 percent from a year earlier in May, snapping a three-month winning streak, as outbound shipments to the United States sharply went down amid the US President Donald Trump administration's sweeping tariff policies, government data showed Sunday. Outbound shipments came to US$57.3 billion last month, South Korea's (Yonhap) news agency said, citing data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Imports shrank 5.3 percent on-year to $50.3 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $6.94 billion. In May, shipments to the US slid 8.1 percent from a year ago to $10 billion mainly due to the weak exports of the automotive sector, hit by the Trump administration's 25 percent tariffs. Exports to China also decreased 8.4 percent on-year to $10.4 billion on low demand for semiconductors and petrochemical products, while exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) lost 1.3 percent to $10 billion. On the other hand, exports to the European Union gained 4 percent to $6 billion, up for the third consecutive month, on strong demand for automobiles and semiconductors. "The US tariffs seem to be affecting the global economy and South Korea's exports, proven by a decrease in South Korea's exports to the two biggest markets -- the US and China," South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said. "In particular, the sharp drop in international oil prices to the low $60 range in May led to a more than 20 percent on-year decline in exports of petroleum and petrochemical products, which was another major factor in the overall decrease in outbound shipments," he added. (QNA)