China's September Chip Exports Surge 136% YoY to $44.95B — Volumes Up Only 1% as Prices Spike on AI Demand

China's General Administration of Customs on October 15 reported September integrated-circuit exports hit $44.95 billion, up 136% year-over-year to an all-time high, while unit volumes rose just 1% to 32.7 billion chips — meaning the surge was driven by prices, not shipments. Computer parts exports rose 2.1x and server/data-processing equipment climbed 7.2% as the global AI buildout pulls Chinese fab output into the trade flow. China also lifted memory-chip imports 150% and IC imports 56.6% as domestic AI vendors stockpile.