China’s exports surge 36% as AI-related shipments boom

China just posted the kind of trade number that makes economists recheck their spreadsheets. Exports in September 2026 reached an unprecedented $447.18 billion, up 36.3% from the same month a year earlier. Analysts had expected growth of 25.5%. The actual figure left that forecast in the dust, and the engine behind it was artificial intelligence, or more precisely, the physical hardware that AI runs on. The numbers behind the boom The surge was driven largely by global demand for AI-related components, particularly integrated circuits and semiconductors. Semiconductor exports have often shown increases of more than 100% year over year. Imports also climbed, rising 31% to $313.66 billion. Even so, exports grew faster, and the gap between the two widened China’s monthly trade surplus to $133.53 billion. Customs Vice Minister Wang Jun pointed to electronic components and computer hardware as the key pillars supporting the trade boom. September was not a one-off either. Exports grew 25% in August and 27% in June 2026, both driven by the same AI tailwind. Where the goods are going Shipments to the United States rose 9.8%. Exports to the European Union grew 16.4%. Exports to ASEAN nation...