An employee operates equipment at an automated production line in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on March 17. LI BO/XINHUA

A new wave of high-value, time-sensitive exports is giving China's air cargo sector a fresh growth engine, as the country's "next new three" products continue to gain traction in markets overseas.

The "next new three" refers to artificial intelligence-related products, robotics and innovative medicines, representing a new stage in China's export upgrading.

The concept reflects the evolution from the "old trio" — garments, home appliances and furniture — which once powered China's export expansion, to the "new trio" — electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products — highlighting the country's shift toward greener, technology-driven manufacturing and higher-value industrial growth.

Fueled by the rising demand abroad for these high-value products, China's air cargo sector has seen continued expansion, handling 2.32 million metric tons of international air cargo and mail in the first half, up 13.9 percent year-on-year, said the Ministry of Transport.

Meanwhile, China expanded its global air cargo network, adding 92 international air freight routes and more than 217 weekly round-trip flights, said the Beijing-based China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

At a workshop of O-Net Technologies Shenzhen Group Co Ltd — an optical communications equipment manufacturer in Guangdong province — workers were busy producing a batch of optical amplifier components in late July. The company's products are mainly used in optical communications, with more than 70 percent shipped overseas.

As AI models grow increasingly larger, the computing capacity of individual data centers can no longer meet growing demand. Optical amplifier components, which enable large-scale data exchanges between data centers, have seen a sharp increase in orders this year.

Liu Li, senior product director at O-Net's marketing unit, said the company's exports have grown rapidly this year, rising by more than 60 percent year-on-year between January and June.

"More than 80 percent of our products are transported by air due to their high value and time-sensitive nature," said Liu.

Li Mingyang, supply chain director at Seeed Technology Co Ltd, a Shenzhen-based industrial computer and sensor manufacturer, said his firm began expanding into robotic arms and desktop robots in the second half of last year, with the two categories now accounting for more than 20 percent of its exports.

"Many overseas customers ask us to use air freight so they can receive the industrial robots and accessories sooner," Li said, adding that faster logistics support helps customers quickly deploy automation solutions and respond to rapidly evolving market demand.

In the first half, Shenzhen Post Office Customs — a unit of Shenzhen Customs located at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport — supervised the export of mechanical and electrical products worth 20.04 billion yuan ($2.97 billion), up 20 percent year-on-year.

Federal Express Corp, a United States-based express transportation services provider, announced on Tuesday the launch of a nonstop freighter service between its hub in Guangzhou, Guangdong, and Sydney, Australia.

Operating five times a week, the new route is designed to reduce transit times by up to one day, enabling shipments from China and other major Asian markets to reach Australia in as little as two business days.

"As China's trade landscape continues to evolve, speed, reliability and resilience are becoming increasingly critical for both exporters and importers," said Poh-Yian Koh, president of FedEx China.

Fuzhou Customs said companies in Fujian province exported 71.81 billion yuan worth of mechanical and electrical products to other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership member countries in the first half, up 9.5 percent year-on-year.

Among them, exports of the "new trio" and "next new three" products recorded particularly rapid growth.

zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn