China’s exports surge at fastest pace since 2021 as AI boom and tariff rush supercharge trade

China’s exports expanded at their fastest pace in nearly five years in June, powered by soaring global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) hardware and a rush by exporters to ship goods before fresh US tariffs come into effect, underscoring the resilience of the world’s second-largest economy despite geopolitical tensions. According to customs data released Tuesday, exports rose 27% from a year earlier in U.S. dollar terms. It was the fastest growth since October 2021, up from 19.4% in May and well above economists’ forecast of 18.2%. During the first half of the year, China’s fastest-growing export categories were semiconductors, rare…