China’s integrated circuit exports surged 136 per cent year on year to US$45 billion in September, outpacing the 108 per cent growth recorded during the first nine months of the year as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure contributed to higher chip prices.
The value of exports rose sharply even though the volume of shipments increased by only 1 per cent, to 32.7 billion integrated circuit units, according to customs data released on Wednesday. The divergence reflects a global shortage of memory chips amid a major expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
For the first three quarters of the year, China exported 275.2 billion integrated circuit units worth nearly US$302 billion, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
The performance of semiconductor exports significantly exceeded the growth in China’s overall overseas shipments. Total exports rose 36.3 per cent year on year to US$447.18 billion in September, highlighting the strength of demand for Chinese technology-related products.
The figures indicate that Chinese chipmakers remain deeply embedded in the global technology supply chain, despite the country’s limited access to advanced manufacturing equipment and its inability to produce the most sophisticated semiconductor hardware.
Wang Jun, spokesman and vice-minister of the customs authority, attributed the expansion in technology-related trade to rising investment in artificial intelligence and computing infrastructure worldwide.
“The booming development of AI has accelerated global investment in computing power, expanding the demand for terminal equipment and intermediate manufacturing products,” Wang said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
The expansion of large-scale computing facilities has also increased demand for electricity infrastructure, creating additional export opportunities for Chinese manufacturers of power-related equipment. Wang said shipments had risen across power generation, transmission and energy storage.
Growth extended beyond integrated circuits to a range of computer hardware and components. During the first nine months of the year, exports of computer parts increased 2.1 times year on year, while shipments of memory components, including solid-state drives, rose 1.3 times, according to Wang.
Exports of data-processing equipment, including servers, increased by 7.2 per cent over the same period. The figures reflect broader demand for the hardware required to support computing operations, alongside the growth in semiconductor shipments.
Chinese manufacturers are also expanding their presence in emerging artificial intelligence-related product categories. Wang said Chinese-made AI glasses and robots were entering international markets, describing the products as helping to “enrich global AI application scenarios”. He did not provide specific export figures for either category.
At the same time, China’s imports of semiconductors and memory products have increased substantially, reflecting the country’s investment in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence. Memory imports rose 150 per cent year on year during the first nine months of the year, while integrated circuit imports increased by 56.6 per cent, Wang said.
The simultaneous growth in semiconductor exports and imports illustrates the scale of China’s participation in international chip supply chains. While domestic manufacturers are shipping greater quantities and higher-value products overseas, Chinese businesses are also importing substantial volumes of memory and integrated circuits to meet demand associated with expanding computing infrastructure.
