[News] China IC Exports Hit 304.7B Yuan in Jan–Feb 2026, Up Nearly 70% as AI Lifts Mature-Node

China’s integrated circuit (IC) exports are accelerating sharply. According to ijiwei, citing data released by the General Administration of Customs on March 10, China’s IC exports reached 304.67 billion yuan in January and February this year, marking a 68.9% year-over-year increase. In terms of volume, IC export shipments rose 13.7% from a year earlier to 52.46 billion units, the report said.

The strong growth has also sparked discussion about the drivers behind the increase. As noted by the 90 Talks Tech column on Sohu, while export value rose 73%, export volume increased only 13.7%. 90 Talks Tech explains that one key factor is the shift by the world’s largest memory chip manufacturers, which have redirected much of their capacity toward the AI supply chain. As a result, memory chips used in consumer electronics have become tighter in supply, pushing prices steadily higher. China’s chip industry has therefore benefited from the trend, as export quotations have risen alongside global chip prices.

China’s Mature-Node Chip Expansion Fuels Export Growth

Beyond pricing dynamics, 90 Talks Tech also indicates that China is now able to mass-produce mature-node chips that meet domestic market demand, making exports a natural next step. According to the report, China’s IC output reached 484.3 billion units in 2025, while the country had 3,901 domestic chip design companies with combined sales exceeding 835.7 billion yuan, representing nearly 30% year-over-year growth. In addition, the localization rate of mature-node chips has approached 45%, while China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has set a target of 55% by 2026.

Still, 90 Talks Tech notes that challenges remain for China’s semiconductor ambitions. As the report points out, China still lags the U.S. in advanced chip manufacturing, and the current surge is driven mainly by the scale effect of mature-node production, rather than by premium pricing from cutting-edge technologies.

Global AI Boom Lifts Semiconductor Trade

China’s export growth is also unfolding amid a broader global AI boom. Analysts by The Paper note that rising investment in AI is boosting demand across related industries and helping drive China’s exports. The surge in AI spending is prompting technology companies to build data centers at scale, fueling global trade in semiconductors, servers, networking equipment, and electronic components. The Paper also indicates that global semiconductor sales rose 46.1% year over year in January, while South Korea’s semiconductor exports surged 102.8%, both reaching record highs.

Meanwhile, from the import side, China’s IC imports also increased. According to ijiwei, China’s IC import value reached 550.27 billion yuan in January and February 2026, marking a 36.8% year-over-year increase. In terms of volume, IC imports rose 9% from a year earlier to 91.0 billion units.

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