On Tuesday July 12 the Korea International Trade Association announced that in the period January-May 2005 Korean mobile phone exports to Europe exceeded those to the United States for the first time ever, with exports to Europe increasing by 60% year-on-year to US$3.3 billion and exports to the United States dropping by 20% year-on-year to US$2.5 billion. Exports to Europe were stimulated by the fact that European telecom companies started WCDMA services at the end of 2004. Exports to the United States were hit by the fact that Sprint, the largest US provider of CDMA services, was awaiting approval for its merger with mobile phone maker Nextel.