China imports of semiconductor chips soar in bid to beat US curbs

Imports of the machinery used to make computer chips rose 14 per cent in 2023 to almost $40 bn, new figures show

Curbs are making it harder for Chinese companies to get access to the machines needed to make the most powerful chips

Imports of chipmaking machines jumped last year in China as firms ramped up investment in an attempt to get around US-led efforts to hobble the nation’s semiconductor industry.

New figures show Imports of the machinery used to make computer chips rose 14 per cent in 2023 to almost $40 billion — the second largest amount by value on record in data going back to 2015, according to Bloomberg calculations based on official customs data. The ...