China’s AI product trade surged in 2025, driven by rapid growth in robotics, smart driving, and computing power.
China’s trade in AI-related products remained strong in 2025, with several notable highlights, according to HKCNA.
At a press briefing on the 14th, Wang Jun, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs, cited a WTO report showing that global AI product trade grew about 20% in the first half of 2025. These products made up one-sixth of total trade and contributed over 40% of global trade growth.
China’s AI trade followed the global trend, showing vigorous expansion. In intermediate goods, wide-ranging applications have boosted imports: lidar for smart driving rose over 20%, and computer components for AI computing also increased by 20%.
In user-end products, China’s intelligent robots demonstrate advanced capabilities. According to the Global Times, they can dance, run marathons, and practice Taichi, while also enabling efficient production. Material-handling robots use vision systems and algorithms to avoid obstacles, and welding robots automatically scan workpieces to calculate optimal welding solutions.
Wang highlighted their overseas success. “These two robot types have demonstrated strong capabilities in overseas infrastructure and large-scale construction projects,” he said. Consequently, their export growth rates reached over 60% in 2025.
Additionally, Chinese firms are active in the global AI industry chain. Exports of optical transceiver modules for high-end graphics cards jumped nearly 60%, while large transformers and energy storage batteries—key for powering global data centres—grew 18.8%.
Written by Yi Shen.
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