China's Chip Exports Double in First Four Months
2026-05-11
The latest data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) shows that from January to April 2026, China's cumulative integrated circuit (IC) exports reached approximately US$103.5 billion, surging 83.7% year-on-year and accounting for 12.2% of the total export value of mechanical and electrical products during the same period. In April alone, export value soared 100.1% year-on-year, achieving a full doubling and extending the accelerating momentum observed since the beginning of the year.
Price Drivers and Capacity Support
The 100.1% growth rate is most directly driven by the sharp climb in memory chip prices. Global AI computing capital expenditure continues to surge, and large-scale data center expansion is directly fueling massive demand for memory chips. According to TrendForce, conventional DRAM contract prices in the second quarter of 2026 are expected to rise 58% to 63% quarter-on-quarter, while NAND Flash contract price increases could reach 70% to 75%. The average selling price of memory chips has climbed more than 400% over the past 15 months. Meanwhile, mainland China's mature-process production capacity accounts for nearly 30% of the global total, establishing scaled supply advantages in automotive electronics, industrial control, and consumer electronics—providing a solid production foundation for the export surge.
Processing Trade Model in the Spotlight
The import side has also shown robust performance. In April, IC imports grew 54.8% year-on-year to US$53.87 billion, setting a new monthly record for the second consecutive month. This simultaneous boom in imports and exports reflects China's pivotal hub position in the global semiconductor supply chain: large volumes of high-end chip raw materials and equipment are imported, then packaged, tested, and integrated domestically before being re-exported, forming a typical processing trade loop. Mechanical and electrical product imports have hit monthly highs for two consecutive months, with ICs contributing 22.3 percentage points to the total growth of mechanical and electrical product imports for the month.
Structural Optimization
Current chip exports are displaying clear characteristics of structural optimization. Domestic enterprises have achieved continuous breakthroughs in automotive-grade IGBTs, MCUs, and packaging and testing segments, significantly enhancing product added value. Globally, 70% to 75% of chip application demand is concentrated in mature-process nodes. Leveraging comprehensive upstream and downstream industrial support, China has achieved stable mass production in categories such as power semiconductors, power management ICs, and sensors, precisely matching the supply chain needs of overseas automakers, international consumer electronics giants, and Southeast Asian electronics OEMs. Export products are shifting from low-price, high-volume sales to high-value-added output, with global market recognition continuously improving.
SEMICONE: Bridging Semiconductor Supply and Demand
SEMICONE stands as a leading semiconductor distributor dedicated to delivering chip solutions worldwide. Amid surging demand driven by AI computing expansion and automotive electrification, it strategically focuses on high-growth segments including memory devices, power semiconductors, signal-chain components, and programmable logic, ensuring authentic traceability and agile shortage mitigation. SEMICONE's Hot Picks and Featured IC Models:
● PBSS8110T,215: A 100 V, 1 A NPN low-VCEsat transistor from Nexperia in a compact SOT23 package.
● XC8110AA01MR-G: A Torex high-side load switch featuring an ideal-diode function.
● OPA314AIDBVT: A TI 3 MHz low-power CMOS operational amplifier with rail-to-rail input/output.
● UCC21225ANPLR: A 2.5 kVrms capacitive-isolation dual-channel gate driver delivering 4 A/6 A peak currents and 30 ns propagation delay.
● EP2C8F256C8N: An Altera Cyclone II FPGA integrating 8,256 logic elements and 182 I/Os within a 256-FBGA package.
Email: info@semicone.com
Ajinomoto Confirms ABF Price Hike, Tightening Supply for Key AI Chip Material
TCL CSOT's t8 Project Achieves Topping-Out: World's First G8.6 Printed OLED Line
Related Article
Solidigm seeks a $45B US NAND fab but ties it to approval for Dalian equipment upgrades, as export controls and a paused IPO constrain funding.
Talks on $45 Billion Investment: A Potential New US NAND Plant
Bosch splits its Mobility business into four independent units, transferring 62,500 staff. It stays wholly owned, not listed or sold.
Bosch Separates Mobility Business, Transfers 62,500 Employees
