Mapping the AI trade boom

The global build-out of AI capacity is fuelling a trade boom in the goods needed to deliver it.

The global build-out of AI capacity is fuelling a trade boom in the goods needed to deliver it. We track 104 AI-related products, spanning semiconductors, servers, computing equipment, and other inputs and capital goods, and use them to construct an AI export index.

What you will learn:

• Our basket of 104 AI-related products reveals a supply chain centred on Asia and dominated by intermediate goods (inputs such as chips and components), with the characteristics and geography of production creating distinct air, container, and overland freight networks.
• Semiconductors account for around 34% of AI-related trade, with the rest spread across computers, networking equipment, power infrastructure, and other inputs. Intermediate goods account for around 60% of the basket, showing how far the AI investment boom reaches upstream into global supply chains.
• Asia sits at the centre of AI-related trade, but economies play different roles within the supply chain. China is the largest exporter, while Taiwan is considerably more exposed to shifts in AI investment. The US is the largest importer, with its import mix weighted further downstream.
• Air freight is the largest transport mode for AI-related trade, but freight networks differ sharply by mode.
• This means a supply chain that spans several economies can still depend on a common regional freight network, leaving freight exposure less diversified than the geography of the supply chain might suggest.

Download the report for more detailed insights.