May 13, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Malaysia’s GPU imports surged to a record $2.74 billion in April, highlighting its growing role as a redistribution hub in the global AI semiconductor supply chain, amid shifting trade flows and mounting demand for high-performance compute components.

According to Taiwan customs data, Malaysia imported $6.45 billion worth of GPUs in the first four months of 2025, already exceeding the country’s total GPU imports for all of 2024. Monthly figures show a steep acceleration: $1.12 billion in January, $627 million in February, $1.96 billion in March, and $2.74 billion in April.

A significant portion of these imports are believed to originate from U.S. chipmaker Nvidia. During Nvidia’s fiscal Q1 (February–April), the company projected $43 billion in revenue, while Malaysia imported $5.33 billion worth of GPUs during the same period—accounting for roughly 13% of Nvidia’s expected quarterly sales.

In parallel, Taiwan’s exports of AI-related components to Malaysia have soared. In March, Taiwan region exported $1.87 billion worth of computer systems to Malaysia, a 366% increase year-on-year. Compared to March 2023, when exports totaled just $3.4 million, the increase was over 55,000%. Exports of computer parts also climbed to $60.8 million in March, up from $27 million in March 2023 and $15 million in March 2022, signaling intensified demand for server-grade components.

Although the final destinations of these GPUs remain undisclosed, the scale, pace, and source concentration of shipments have drawn industry attention. Analysts view Malaysia’s surge in imports and upstream procurement as a sign of its evolving role in AI compute infrastructure and global chip logistics.