Outbound shipments by the country's small and medium-sized enterprises sank 4.5 percent in the first half of the year from a year earlier amid a protracted slowdown in the global economy, data showed Tuesday.

According to the data compiled by the Small and Medium Business Administration, smaller firms' exports reached $90.55 billion in the January-June period, while outbound shipments by large companies dropped 12.9 percent to $150.8 billion over the cited period.

Overall, local companies' exports declined 9.9 percent on-year to $241.8 billion in the first half, the data showed.

The data showed, however, that smaller firms' exports increased 0.8 percent on-year in June, marking a rise for the second consecutive month. (Yonhap)