ChainThink reports that data shows China's semiconductor exports reached a record $36 billion in May 2026, a 111% year-over-year increase, while actual chip shipments during the same period rose by only 2%.
The infrastructure demand for AI data centers has raised the average price of high-value-added chips, significantly boosting semiconductor export values. During the same period, computer and component exports increased by 66% year-over-year to approximately $27 billion, reaching the second-highest level in history.
Chips and computer components together accounted for about half of China’s total import-export growth in May. That month, China’s overall exports rose 19% year-over-year, imports increased 27%, and the trade surplus reached $105.4 billion, the highest level since January 2026.