S. Korea's auto export rises slower in March

SEOUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's automotive export rose slower in March due to lower demand for eco-friendly vehicles, government data showed Tuesday.

Car shipment edged up 1.2 percent from a year earlier to 6.24 billion U.S. dollars in March after increasing in double digits in the previous month, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The slower growth was attributed to weaker demand for eco-friendly sedans, the export of which slipped 3.1 percent to 2.02 billion dollars in March.

The number of exported vehicles was 240,874 in March, down 2.4 percent from a year earlier. Auto parts shipment reduced 3.6 percent to 1.84 billion dollars.

The number of vehicles, manufactured in local factories, added 1.5 percent to 370,836 in March on a yearly basis.

The number of cars sold in the country, including domestically-made and imported vehicles, was 149,512 in March, up 2.4 percent from a year earlier.■