China's AI chip exports double to $31B ahead of Trump summit

China's technology exports are booming, with integrated circuit (IC) export value doubling year-on-year to US$31.09 billion in April, according to customs data. Volume rose 3.7% to 32.04 billion units. Meanwhile, exports of automated data processing machines and parts—including computers, laptops, and servers—jumped 47.6% to US$23.81 billion. Bank of America noted that these two sectors alone accounted for roughly half of China's total export growth last month. Analysts from Citic Securities called computing-related goods a "new and important growth driver for China’s exports," fueled by surging global AI demand.

Macquarie Group's chief China economist Larry Hu observed that the AI boom has more than offset the drag from the Iran crisis. The trade data was released days before a high-stakes meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump, who is accompanied by top US tech executives including Tesla's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook, and Meta's Dina Powell McCormick. Analysts say these robust export figures give Beijing strategic leverage in trade negotiations, highlighting China's role as a critical supplier of AI infrastructure.