Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that my country's foreign trade in high-end intelligent equipment has maintained strong momentum this year, with trade volume continuously expanding. Exports of AI-related artificial intelligence products have all achieved double-digit growth. Since the start of summer, Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei has seen a global purchasing boom.

 Overseas Merchants "Shopping Spree" in China

 Huaqiangbei Welcomes Global Purchasing Boom

 Summer is traditionally the peak season for foreign trade in Huaqiangbei, but this year AI hardware sales are particularly hot. Reporters found that almost every counter had foreigners inquiring about prices, trying on products, and packing orders. Behind this market boom, policy dividends are also being released. On July 14, the EU officially exempted smart glasses, smartwatches, and other wearable devices from the mandatory requirement for removable batteries. After the new regulations took effect, manufacturers no longer need to significantly modify product designs to accommodate removable batteries, effectively reducing production and sales costs.

 In addition, sales of AI-powered plush toys for emotional companionship have also increased significantly this summer. Plush toys that can recognize people, remember things, and even act cute are popular with overseas children.

 Data from Huaqiangbei Subdistrict shows that nearly 8,000 foreign merchants visit Huaqiangbei daily to purchase goods since the beginning of this year. As of July 2026, AI products accounted for 61% of the electronic products sold in the area, a significant jump from 41% in 2025. From January to July 2026, sales of all AI products in Huaqiangbei increased by over 55% year-on-year, with AI glasses sales surging by 100%, and drone and robot sales increasing by 60% to 70%.

 The "One-Kilometer" Supply Chain

 Facilitating the Accelerated Global Sales of AI Products

 The surge in export orders for AI products and their popularity overseas is underpinned by a complete and responsive supply chain system. In Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, over 100 types of components can be sourced in a single day, and products can be sampled within a week. The "one-kilometer" supply chain is transforming "China speed" into global orders.

 Zhan Shigang, a product manager at a brain-computer interface company, received a request from an American client—to customize a shell for a brainwave device, but the dimensions were 20 millimeters shorter than the existing circuit board. This meant a complete redesign of the layout of all components.

 From design and component procurement to structural mold making, software debugging, and prototype manufacturing, all these processes can be completed within a one-kilometer radius on foot in Huaqiangbei.

 The core business district of Huaqiangbei is home to over 115,000 business entities. Here, one can find 1.1 million types of electronic components, ranging from AI chip solutions to edge models, from intelligent agent development to scenario testing. This complete industrial chain and high-density industrial cluster create a rapid path from technology to product transformation.

 According to Shenzhen Customs data, in the first half of the year, Shenzhen's high-tech product imports and exports reached 1.7 trillion yuan, ranking first in the country and contributing over 60% to Shenzhen's overall foreign trade growth. Among them, the import and export volume of AI-related products exceeded one trillion yuan, with a growth rate of over 50%.

 Technology R&D Reduces Costs

 Products Offer Better Value for Money

 The complete industrial chain and smooth supply chain collaboration improve production efficiency, significantly reduce costs, and consequently lower product prices, allowing AI technology to be deeply integrated into hardware products.

 In Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, thousands of chip distributors form a massive supply chain foundation. Wei Gaihong, head of Shenzhen Hongrun Core Electronics Co., Ltd. in Guangdong, is one such example. Her company ships approximately 80 million chips monthly, with 80% of its customers in overseas markets. These chips, ranging in price from a few cents to several yuan, cover almost all consumer-grade AI hardware on the market.

If chips are the "brain" of electronic products, then circuit boards are the "skeleton" that supports these brains. At a company in Futian, Shenzhen, they receive over 50,000 PCB (printed circuit board) R&D orders daily, 80% of which are in the prototyping stage. Previously, each customer's product required a separate board, costing 500 to 800 yuan, with a delivery time of about a week. Now, the company uses its self-developed AI algorithms to create "panel boards"—combining orders from different customers with the same process and requirements for production, reducing costs to around 20 yuan and enabling delivery in as little as 12 hours.

 With chips and circuit boards in place, to truly make these hardware devices "smart," the capabilities of large-scale models need to be incorporated. A real-time AI voice interaction system developed by a technology company in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, essentially provides a ready-to-use AI access solution for consumer electronics products. Developers can easily install the "brain" of a large model into the hardware, much like building blocks.

 Qu Jian, Vice President of the China Development Institute (Shenzhen), stated that Shenzhen is at the forefront of the nation and even the world in both AI hardware components and overall software system design, forming a strong comprehensive competitive capability. Through mass production at each stage, costs have been significantly optimized, resulting in enhanced competitiveness across the entire industry chain.

 Source: China News Network Editor: Cai Xingyu