Chinese semiconductor imports fall as self-sufficiency drive shapes up

  • China’s integrated circuit imports decreased last quarter, after they rose one-third in the first three months of 2021
  • The country’s position in the global value chain is under pressure amid geopolitical headwinds and Omicron outbreaks

An engineer holds a chip at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute. China’s imports of integrated circuits decreased on year in the first quarter, according to customs data. Photo: Reuters

China’s imports of integrated circuits (ICs) shrank 9.6 per cent in volume in the first quarter from a year ago, according to Chinese customs data, marking a sharp retreat from the 33.6 per cent increase in the same period in 2021.

The values of IC units it bought, however, were rising. In the first three months of the year, entities in China paid a total of US$107.2 billion for 140.3 billion IC units, up 14.6 per cent year on year. The average unit price rose 26 per cent from a year ago, according to the Post’s calculation, based on customs data.

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