Per Woofun AI data, China's semiconductor export value reached a record $36 billion in May 2026, representing a 111% year-on-year increase. Despite this valuation surge, actual chip shipment volumes expanded by only 2%, indicating that price inflation rather than volume growth drove the financial performance. This disparity underscores the acute global shortage of high-value AI compute hardware, where scarcity has significantly elevated unit prices.

Concurrently, exports of computers and components climbed 66% year-on-year to approximately $27 billion, establishing the second-highest historical record. These hardware categories collectively accounted for roughly half of China's total import and export growth for the month. The robust expansion in compute-related exports propelled overall Chinese exports up by 19% and imports by 27%, resulting in a trade surplus of $105.4 billion, the highest level recorded since January 2026.