AI TRENDS | Huatai Securities: Strong South Korea Exports Signal Continued Uptrend in Global AI Supply-Chain Trade

Huatai Securities said strong AI supply-chain exports continued to drive South Korea’s June exports far above expectations, while the country’s trade surplus hit a new record high. According to Jin10, a Huatai Securities research report said leading indicators showed AI supply-chain trade was maintaining rapid growth, and South Korea’s exports were expected to remain strong, potentially keeping nominal GDP growth at a relatively high pace. In the short term, the report said the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which it described as leading South Korea’s semiconductor exports by about four months, remained at a high year-on-year level, pointing to continued strength in South Korea’s semiconductor export cycle. The report also said that amid strong AI demand, memory prices were still rising and would continue to support nominal exports. Huatai Securities said the strong growth in South Korea’s exports indicated that global AI supply-chain trade remained on an upward track, and that Asian AI supply chains such as those in South Korea and China were expected to continue benefiting.