China export surge sets up another record annual trade surplus

China’s September exports surged by 36.3 per cent, surpassing expectations, as the artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom puts the country on track for another record annual trade surplus. Shipments of hi-tech products rose by 64 per cent from a year earlier, spurred by a 136 per cent boom in semiconductor exports, the General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday. Chips also drove a 31 per cent increase in imports, along with higher commodity costs. September’s trade surplus was...