Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

In January–May 2026, China significantly increased its imports of integrated circuits, with the total value rising by 52.1% year-on-year to $238.43 billion, AzerNEWS reports.

According to available data, import volumes also grew in physical terms, increasing by 8.5% to 251.04 billion units over the same period. This indicates that not only did spending rise sharply, but demand for semiconductor components remained strong across multiple industries.

In May alone, China imported 49.69 billion chips, with a total value of $56.58 billion, highlighting continued high demand even in a single month.

An interesting detail is that this surge in imports reflects China’s ongoing efforts to secure semiconductor supply chains amid global technological competition. Despite rapid development of its domestic chip industry, the country still heavily relies on foreign-made advanced semiconductors, especially for sectors such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and automotive electronics. Analysts note that fluctuations in global chip prices and increased demand for high-performance computing components have also contributed to the sharp rise in import value.