Catenaa, Friday, October 02, 2026 – China’s AI-related exports are expected to support economic growth through the end of 2026, driven by the AI investment boom.
In its Q3 Quarterly Outlook on China, PwC says Chinese exports should remain a key pillar of growth in the second half, particularly for technology-related manufacturing.
“China continues to benefit from two major sources of external demand: the global boom in AI investment and the broader shift toward clean energy, both of which should help offset weaker momentum elsewhere in the domestic economy,” said Jackie Yan, PwC’s China Economist.
According to the report, the AI investment boom has boosted AI-related exports, as trade in computing-related hardware, including electronic components and computer parts used in data centers and other computing infrastructure, rose 56.6% year on year in the first half and contributed 6.9 percentage points to export growth.
The report also highlighted that high-tech exports rose by 38.5% in the first half, while semiconductor exports surged 96.1%, driven more by prices than volumes, with shipment volumes up only about 7%.
PwC said exports of automatic data processing machines and parts rose 41.3% in the first half, while auto exports also rose sharply, up 72% year-on-year, driven by continued overseas demand for Chinese vehicles, particularly EVs.
Exports to major markets were dominated by the European Union, with shipments rising by16.8%, while exports to ASEAN grew 22.9% in the first half, and exports to the US followed a 16.3% contraction in Q1, but growth in H1 stood at 0.2%, after April, May and June exports rose by 14.1%, 35.4% and 13.8% respectively, the report said.
Moreover, according to PwC, as global investment in data centers, semiconductors and computing capacity continues, China’s electronics and advanced manufacturing exports should stay well supported.
It said that the global shift to clean energy is expected to keep boosting the demand for EVs and related equipment.
However, PwC said that trade tensions with the US and the European Union remain the clearest risk to this outlook, particularly in sectors where trade policy and geopolitical competition increasingly overlap.
“The medium-term picture remains positive, but growth is likely to vary across products and markets,” PwC said.
