AI Infrastructure Shortage Drives Up Chip Prices: China's Semiconductor Export Soared by 111% in May, with Shipments Increasing by Only 2%

According to DynaBeat Monitor, the global AI data center infrastructure has an extreme hardware appetite, pushing the semiconductor boom to a price surge. In May 2026, China's semiconductor export value skyrocketed by 111% year-on-year to a record $36 billion; however, during the same period, China's actual chip shipment volume only saw a marginal 2% increase.

The doubling of semiconductor export value while the actual shipment volume remained nearly flat has exposed the true extent of the global compute hardware shortage. The price of high-value-added chips surged significantly due to the AI compute scarcity, directly boosting the semiconductor export value. Meanwhile, computer and component exports also soared by 66% year-on-year to around $27 billion, marking the second-highest historical record.

In May, chips and computer components collectively accounted for about half of China's total import and export growth. Driven by the robust surge in compute export value, China's overall exports in May increased by 19% year-on-year, imports surged by 27%, resulting in a trade surplus of $105.4 billion, hitting the highest level since January 2026.