China earns $500m per hour from exports as AI goods drive the growth

"China's export earnings have reached roughly $500m an hour, according to a Bloomberg calculation based on the latest customs data, with AI-related goods accounting for about half of the year-on-year growth that has driven the figure to record levels."

"Total Chinese exports rose 14.1% year-on-year in April to a record $359.4bn, comfortably ahead of consensus forecasts in the high single digits, according to Chinese customs data published last week. The trade surplus widened to $84.8bn for the month. Imports rose 25.3% year-on-year, slightly below March's 27.8% but well ahead of expectations."

"Goldman Sachs and Nomura attribute about half of April's export-growth contribution to AI-related goods: semiconductors, computers, data-centre components, and the industrial materials feeding into Chinese AI infrastructure that is, in turn, supplied into global markets. Integrated-circuit exports alone reached $31.1bn for the month, mobile-phone exports $84.1bn, and high-tech products $104.0bn in total."

"The April data shows a markedly different mix, with semiconductors, server hardware, AI accelerators and the wider component stack feeding global AI-infrastructure build-outs delivering the marginal growth. Geographic diversification has continued. Shipments to the United States rose 11.3% year-on-year in April to $36.8bn, recovering after a 26.5% drop in March, despite the Trump administration's tariff regime."

China’s exports reached record levels in April, with export earnings rising to about $500 million per hour. Total exports increased 14.1% year-on-year to $359.4 billion, exceeding forecasts, while the trade surplus widened to $84.8 billion. Imports rose 25.3% year-on-year. AI-related goods accounted for about half of the year-on-year export growth, including semiconductors, computers, data-centre components, and industrial materials supporting AI infrastructure. Integrated-circuit exports reached $31.1 billion, mobile-phone exports reached $84.1 billion, and high-tech products totaled $104.0 billion. Shipments to the United States rose 11.3% year-on-year, and exports increasingly went to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.

Read at TNW | China