To The Moon

Beyond the impressive headline figures, a profound transformation is underway in the structure of Shanghai's foreign trade. The AI industry is driving growth in the import and export of upstream and downstream products, while green industries and robotics have become standout performers in exports.

In May, products such as integrated circuits, storage components, and parts and accessories for automatic data processing equipment, all propelled by the AI industry, recorded a combined import and export value of 84.94 billion yuan, surging 87.9%. This single category alone contributed 10.5 percentage points to the city's overall trade growth. Specifically, exports of parts and accessories for integrated circuits, storage components, and automatic data processing equipment increased by 25.6%, 170%, and 900%, respectively.

The green sector has emerged as another major highlight. Exports of the "new three" products—electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar products—totaled 21.94 billion yuan, up 61.6%. Within this category, electric vehicle exports grew 69.1%, lithium batteries rose 12.7%, and solar products surged 240%. Simultaneously, the robotics industry is beginning to scale up its export presence, with industrial robot exports reaching 240 million yuan in May, a 75.7% increase.

These high-growth categories share common characteristics: high technological density, extensive industrial supply chains, and significant value-added potential. Robotics, artificial intelligence, and innovative pharmaceuticals, dubbed the "new new three," represent the latest direction for China's industrial upgrading following the original "new three" in foreign trade.

The 900% growth in parts for automatic data processing equipment, the 170% rise in storage components, and the 25.6% increase in integrated circuits are interconnected. The logic is clear: a global explosion in demand for AI computing power is driving a sharp increase in exports of servers and data center equipment, which in turn is pulling up volumes for upstream components like memory chips and integrated circuits. This synergistic effect between finished products and their components indicates Shanghai has successfully operationalized the entire supply chain in the AI hardware sector.

From a broader perspective, the city's 394 large-scale AI enterprises achieved an industrial scale exceeding 637 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 39.5%, establishing the sector as a new driving force for Shanghai's GDP growth. According to the 2026 Shanghai Municipal Government Work Report, the city is advancing breakthroughs across the entire integrated circuit industry chain, including equipment, components, materials, and EDA software, while deepening the implementation of the "Modeling Shanghai" project.

Industrial policy has laid a solid foundation on the supply side. When market opportunities arise, production capacity can be swiftly converted into export volume. This growth is not reliant on the performance of one or two leading companies but is the result of coordinated output from the entire industrial ecosystem. Shanghai has established a comprehensive development ecosystem integrating independent innovation, application-driven demand, open cooperation, collaborative ecosystems, and security governance.

From 394 major enterprises to a 637-billion-yuan industrial scale, and from 169 registered large models to a talent pool of 300,000, Shanghai is accelerating its journey toward becoming a globally influential "AI Highland," powered by innovation and supported by a robust ecosystem. The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, convening on July 17, will once again focus global attention on Shanghai, showcasing the city's formidable capabilities and limitless potential as an "AI City."

Robotics Gains Dedicated Customs Code, Smoothing Export Pathways

In addition to AI hardware, Shanghai's robotics exports have shown particularly strong performance. According to Shanghai Customs statistics, in the first five months of this year, exports of various specifically listed robots from Shanghai ports reached 8.36 billion yuan, shipped to 113 countries and regions worldwide. This accounts for over 40% of China's total robot exports, ranking first nationally.

The growth in industrial robot exports is underpinned by Shanghai's accumulated industrial foundation over many years. The "Big Four" global robotics giants—ABB, FANUC, Yaskawa Electric, and KUKA—all have established significant production bases in Shanghai. FANUC operates its largest robot base outside Japan in Shanghai, while ABB's "super factory" there is its largest and most automated globally.

These foreign giants have brought technology and talent, fostering the growth of domestic companies. For instance, STEP Electric & Automation has achieved 100% self-supply of two core components for its industrial robots: the controller and the servo drive. Shanghai has developed several specialized industrial parks, including the Baoshan Robot Industrial Park, Zhangjiang Robot Valley, and Jinqiao Robot Park. The parallel development of foreign and domestic capital, along with the formation of supply chains between large enterprises and SMEs, means the export surge is a function of the entire ecosystem at work.

The case of intelligent bionic robots is particularly noteworthy. Exports in the first five months reached 110 million yuan, representing one-fifth of the national total for the same period. Behind this number lies an institutional innovation. Starting January 1, 2026, intelligent bionic robots were officially assigned a dedicated customs tariff code. Previously, the "Import and Export Tariff Schedule" primarily classified robots as industrial robots. The refined eight-digit code now provides a clear "identity" for these products, giving export enterprises a definitive basis for customs clearance, statistical tracking, and policy alignment. This institutional "micro-innovation" has cleared a path for domestic companies to better access the global market.

Overall, in the first five months of this year, exports of the "new three" products and high-tech products from Shanghai ports grew by 45.6% and 24.2%, respectively. Shanghai's foreign trade report card is not just a testament to industrial upgrading but also a reflection of the rising position of Chinese manufacturing in the global value chain.