Supply Lines

China’s Exports Stay Strong as AI Boom Offsets War Headwinds

Demand for AI gear helped buoy global goods trade last year, and the momentum looks solid this year too
Container ships at the Chiwan container terminal in Shenzhen, China in February.Source: Bloomberg
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Booming demand for artificial intelligence gear is keeping China’s trade volumes on a path to exceed last year’s record levels, offsetting disruptions from higher oil prices in the weeks after war broke out in Iran.

Nearly 20 million containers moved through Chinese ports in the first three weeks of March, an increase of more than 6% from the same period a year earlier, according to fresh data from the Ministry of Transport.