China earns $500 mln an hour from exports due to AI-related products

NEW YORK, May 12. /TASS/. China earned a record total of $359 bln from exports in April, equivalent to $500 mln per hour. Around half of exports consisted of artificial intelligence-related products, according to calculations by Bloomberg based on data from Chinese customs authorities, Goldman Sachs, and Japanese financial company Nomura Holdings. It was noted that total export volume increased by 14% compared with last year. About half of the goods sold abroad consisted of data-processing equipment, including laptops, tablets, and their components, as well as microchips, with exports of the latter doubling year-on-year. The agency noted that growth in export revenues was also driven by the global semiconductor shortage. According to the British bank Standard Chartered, China became the world’s largest supplier of AI-related goods last year. According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, the country’s trade volume with other nations increased by 18.2% year-on-year in January-April to reach $2.32 trillion. Chinese exports over the four-month period totaled $1.33 trillion, while imports amounted to $989 bln. In April, China increased trade turnover with other countries by 7.2% compared with March, to $634.06 bln. China is the world’s leading manufacturer, supplying a wide range of products to international markets and serving as the main trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions. According to customs statistics, China’s foreign trade volume grew by 3.8% in 2024 and by 3.2% in 2025, reaching a record $6.35 trillion.