According to Standard Chartered economists Carol Liao, Moriarty Lam, and Shuang Ding, China has become the world’s largest exporter of AI-related goods, as reported by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) [1]. The country’s exports span the entire AI value chain, including raw materials, hardware manufacturing, technology development, and application deployment [1]. This structural export strength is supported by China’s low-cost energy supply, scalable computing infrastructure, and robust manufacturing capabilities [1].
Despite these advantages, the economists emphasize that China remains reliant on imports of high-end chips, which poses a constraint on its AI trade development [1]. Geopolitical risks are also highlighted as potential challenges to the future growth of China’s AI-related exports [1].
The report notes that global AI-related trade has expanded rapidly and is increasingly becoming a structural driver of cross-border goods flows [1]. China’s strength in AI trade is described as asymmetric, indicating that while it leads in certain areas, it faces limitations in others, particularly in high-end chip technology [1].
Looking forward, Standard Chartered analysts suggest that China’s comparative advantages in AI-related trade are likely to persist, given its energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing strengths [1].
CONCLUSION
China’s position as the world’s largest exporter of AI-related goods is underpinned by structural strengths, but ongoing reliance on high-end chip imports and geopolitical risks remain key constraints. The market takeaway is that China’s AI export growth is robust, yet future expansion may depend on addressing these vulnerabilities.