China exported integrated circuits worth $177 billion in the first half of 2026, a 96% increase year-on-year. The rise is largely due to inflated memory prices, driven by shifts in AI hardware demand and global supply constraints.
China's General Administration of Customs reported that integrated circuit exports reached $177.28 billion in the first half of 2026, marking a year-on-year increase of over 96%. This substantial growth has positioned semiconductors as a key driver of China's overall export performance.
The customs body indicated global demand for AI hardware as a key contributing factor. However, much of this growth appears to be driven by a significant rise in memory chip prices rather than an actual increase in the volume of chips exported.
The average value of exported chips stands at about $0.99, suggesting a composition leaning towards memory and mature-node chips rather than advanced processors. Earlier data indicated that while export values soared, the volume growth lagged behind.
Companies like Samsung and SK Hynix have redirected memory production towards high-bandwidth applications, constraining the supply of conventional memory. As a result, Chinese memory manufacturers' prices have risen in line with global trends.
Despite the discrepancies between value and volume growth, actual chip production in China is robust, with 484.3 billion ICs produced in 2025. There are now 3,901 domestic chip design firms showing nearly 30% year-on-year sales growth, indicating a steady buildout of semiconductor capacity.
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China exported integrated circuits worth $177 billion in the first half of 2026, a 96% increase year-on-year. The rise is largely due to inflated memory prices, driven by shifts in AI hardware demand and global supply constraints.