It is almost two months since the trade ministry announced tighter export control measures on South Korea — stricter screenings on a wide range of materials, including three key chemicals, and a trade status downgrade — aggravating bilateral relations.
Despite speculation, the impact the steps are having on both the South Korean and Japanese economies remains unclear, even with Japan's release of related trade statistics on Thursday.
According to the Finance Ministry, hydrogen fluoride exports to South Korea fell 83.7 percent in volume from June, with 479 tons exported in July, and fell 82.4 percent year on year.