TECH

Chips Drive China’s Electronics Exports

Published: Jan. 30, 2026 4:20 p.m. GMT+8

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China’s electronics exports rose in 2025, driven largely by strong demand for integrated circuits (ICs), which helped offset a decline in shipments of consumer devices like smartphones as manufacturers adjusted global production in the face of harsh U.S. trade policies.

Shipments of electronic information products climbed 7.2% year-on-year to $758.3 billion last year, accounting for one-fifth of the nation’s total goods trade volume, according to a report released Wednesday by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME).

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China’s electronics exports rose 7.2% to $758.3 billion in 2025, with integrated circuits exports up 26.8% to $201.9 billion.
Smartphone exports fell 7.7% by volume and 9.4% by value, while computer export value slipped 1.4%.
Exports to the U.S. dropped 34.8% to $69.1 billion; exports to ASEAN rose 36.2% to $146.5 billion, notably to Vietnam and Thailand.

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Who’s Who

AMD: AMD (超微半导体) contributes to the growth in China's IC exports. The company, like other multinationals such as Intel, Micron, and Samsung, produces certain components in China. These components are then either shipped overseas for further processing or assembled locally into finished products for export. This activity benefits China's export figures for integrated circuits.

Intel: Intel is one of several multinational companies, including AMD, Micron, and Samsung, that produce certain components in China. These components are then either shipped overseas for further processing or assembled locally into finished products for export. This strategy contributes to the growth in China's IC exports.

Micron: Micron is mentioned in the article as one of the multinational companies that produce certain components in China. These components are then either shipped overseas for further processing or assembled locally into finished products for export. This practice contributes to China's IC exports.

Samsung: Samsung is mentioned as one of the multinational companies that produce certain components in China. These components are either shipped overseas for further processing or assembled locally into finished products for export. This practice contributes to China's IC exports, which saw a significant jump in 2025.

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What Happened When

2021：: China’s annual export value of electronic information products peaked at $780 billion.

2021–2025：: For five consecutive years, China’s annual export value of electronic information products surpassed $700 billion.

2025：: China’s electronics exports rose, driven largely by strong demand for integrated circuits (ICs).

2025：: Shipments of electronic information products climbed 7.2% year-on-year to $758.3 billion, making up one-fifth of China’s total goods trade volume.

2025：: IC exports jumped 26.8% to a record high of $201.9 billion, hitting the $200 billion mark for the first time.

2025：: Smartphone exports fell 7.7% by volume to 751 million units—the lowest level since 2010—and their export value dropped 9.4% to $121.7 billion.

2025：: The export value of automatic data processing equipment, including computers, slipped 1.4% to $203.1 billion.

2025：: China’s exports of smartphones, laptop computers, and tablets declined due to escalating geopolitical tensions and US trade policies.

2025：: China’s exports of electronic information products to the US contracted 34.8% to $69.1 billion.

2025：: Exports to the ASEAN bloc surged 36.2% to $146.5 billion, with shipments to Vietnam jumping 51.1% and those to Thailand rising 69.7%.

2026-01-30：: The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) released a report containing export data for 2025.

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