China's June Exports and Imports Beat Forecasts as AI Data Center Demand Powers Trade Surge

China's exports and imports both grew faster than expected in June, driven by rising chip prices and booming global demand for the hardware needed to build AI data centers. According to figures from the General Administration of Customs, exports climbed 27% year on year in US dollar terms—the strongest pace since October 2021 and far above the roughly 18.2% economists had projected. Imports jumped 36%, the biggest increase since June 2021 and well ahead of the 24% consensus, Bloomberg reported.