Ningbo’s Customs Special Supervision Zones Record 8.6 Percent Year-on-Year Growth in Imports and Exports in First Seven Months

Recently, at Ningbo Innolux Optoelectronics Ltd., technicians have been making final efforts to integrate the company’s ERP system with the Customs platform. Upon approval, the company will become the second processing trade enterprise in the Ningbo Customs District to adopt the “Bonded + ERP” connectivity model for conducting “Internet-plus audit and inspection”.

“Through remote connected supervision, Customs can perform inventory verification without requiring the enterprise to suspend production lines,” stated Zhou Yu, Deputy Section Chief of the Audit &Inspection Sectionat Ningbo Bonded Zone Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs.“This not only improves work efficiency and accuracy but also ensures uninterrupted production for enterprises.”

Since the beginning of this year, Ningbo Customs has achieved breakthroughs in innovating bonded supervision through system connectivity and supporting various sectors including bonded processing, bonded R&D, and bonded maintenance. New bonded business models are emerging and evolving, delivering greater operational efficiency. For example, Ningbo BYD Semiconductor Co., Ltd. has officially launched its first bonded R&D project for 1200V trench-gate SiC MOSFET wafers. By importing key equipment and materials under bonded status, the company has saved time and costs in the R&D phase, accelerating its breakthrough in technological advancement. Meanwhile, Ningbo Saili Auto Parts Co., Ltd., Ningbo’s first bonded transmission maintenance enterprise, has established operations in the Ningbo Beilun Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone. With “one-stop” service from Ningbo Customs, the company swiftly completed plant acceptance, system integration, and the establishment of Customs handbook for bonded maintenance. The first batch of maintenance operations is set to commence...

A diverse range of thriving bonded businesses has become a key engine driving new growth in foreign trade within Customs Special Supervision Zones. Equally notable is the rapid clustering of the new energy materials industry in these areas.

At the “digital warehouse” operated by C.steinweg (NINGBO Bonded Zone) Logistics Co., Ltd., a shipment of new energy materials weighing thousands of tons completed an “in-zone direct transfer” from bonded to non-bonded status in just 20 minutes. “In the past, changing the status of bonded goods under one Customs declaration required physically moving them through the gate, a process that took considerable time and effort arranging trucks and handling,” explained Chen Jun, Manager at C.steinweg, “Now, the ‘in-zone direct transfer’ model replaces physical movement with a digital flow, slashing costs associated with loading, transport, and warehouse inspections.”

This efficiency is underpinned by the deep integration of policy benefits from the “Pilot Free Trade Zone” and “Customs Special Supervision Zone”. Facilitative measures such as in-zone direct transfer, classified supervision based on goods status, and no time limit for the storage of bonded goods are well-suited to the characteristics of new energy materials, which involve large-volume transactions and price volatility. Amid the rapid growth of the new energy industry, these policies provide a solid foundation for ensuring a stable supply of critical materials.

To maximize the effectiveness of reform measures such as “in-zone direct transfer”, Ningbo Customs has pioneered a "digital warehouse" initiative to allow for visual and dynamic supervision of the entire inventory process, covering the inbound, outbound, transfer, and storage of raw materials. This has increased storage space utilization by 20 percent for individual enterprise and reduced annual operating costs by over 3 million yuan. From January to July, 25 enterprises have completed digital warehouse upgrades, facilitating the import and export of new energy raw materials worth 6.84 billion yuan, totaling 99,000 tons - representing year-on-year increases of 1.9 times and 1.2 times, respectively.

According to statistics, in the first seven months, the total import and export value of Ningbo’s Customs Special Supervision Zones reached 129.133 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.63 percent, accounting for 15.32 percent of the city’s total foreign trade during the same period, which has made these zones a crucial pillar for stabilizing foreign trade. (By Qian Shuaiyu, Zhu Wei, and He Hanyu)