AI boom propels Chinese semiconductor exports to record $44.95 billion
Rising memory, storage and other component prices are fueling Chinese exports.
Digital background depicting innovative technologies in (AI) artificial systems. MF3d/Getty.
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- China’s chip exports reached a record $44.95 billion in September, up 136% from a year earlier.
- The total was about eight times higher than US semiconductor exports reported for August.
- Chips now make up nearly one-tenth of China’s exports and exceed auto and mobile phone exports.
- Officials linked the surge to AI-driven demand for computing equipment, storage parts, and related products.
China’s semiconductor exports hit an all-time high of $44.95 billion in September, surging 136% year on year.
For comparison, the US monthly semiconductor exports were $5.6 billion in August, about 8 times lower than China's, according to Trading Economics data. Even Taiwanese and South Korean semiconductor exports from the previous month were lower, at $31.3 billion and $38.6 billion, respectively.
“The AI boom is driving demand for computing infrastructure and the electricity to power it,” said the Chinese State Council Information Office (SCIO) in a press statement.
China’s total exports reached $447.18 billion in September, growing by 36.3% on a yearly basis, according to China's General Administration of Customs.
The country’s chip exports now account for nearly a tenth of total exports and are more than twice the size of auto exports, which stood at $20.75 billion, or mobile phone exports, at $16.982 billion. Chinese exports are dominated by mechanical and electrical products.
“The rapid development of AI is accelerating global investment in computing power, leading to a continuous expansion of demand for computing terminal equipment and intermediate manufacturing products,” said Wang Jun, a spokesperson and deputy director of the General Administration of Customs, during the press conference.
China’s exports of computer parts and accessories grew by 2.1 times, and storage components such as solid-state drives by 1.3 times, which, according to Jun, ensured a stable supply of intermediate products in the global computing power industry chain.
The spokesperson also noted that China's AI glasses, intelligent bionic robots, and other products continue to enter international markets and “enrich the global artificial intelligence application scenarios.”
China achieved growth in trade with over 180 countries and regions during the first 3 quarters. China’s total trade reached nearly $6 trillion this year, an increase of 18.8%.
