Boosting High-Quality Cooperation Between China and CEE Countries

 

 

The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development states: "Opening-up should be leveraged to promote reform and development, allowing for shared opportunities and mutual progress with countries around the world."

Ningbo, home to China's first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, achieved a high average annual growth rate of 20.1% in trade with Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Specifically, the average annual growth rates for imports from CEE countries included electromechanical products at 49%, unwrought copper and copper materials at 84.5%, and metal ores and concentrates at 346.8%. Furthermore, Ningbo port registered first-time imports of specialty agricultural and food products such as Serbian honey and Greek saffron.

Serving as a "Customs Navigator" for the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, Ningbo Customs is actively implementing the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) directive to deepen institutional cooperation in customs inspection and quarantine. Leveraging information technology and enhanced customs services as twin engines, the authority injects strong customs support into Ningbo's goal of integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

I. Smart Supervision to Streamline Exhibition Goods Customs Procedures

 

 

Ningbo Customs offers on-site consultation services at the 4th China-CEEC Expo

 

 

The China-CEEC Expo, the nation's first state-level exhibition targeting this region, has achieved remarkable growth. Starting with food and daily necessities, it has evolved into a major event attracting "thousands of merchants," featuring over 8,000 distinctive products and spanning an exhibition area of more than 20,000 square meters. The 4th edition recently concluded successfully in Ningbo. Ningbo Customs has played a crucial support role, ensuring the smooth operation of all four editions of the expo. At this year's event, the Customs consultation service and the AI assistant, "Yinguan Xiaozong," collaborated to provideparticipating companies with policy consultation and foreign-related legal interpretation, helping them align precisely with international regulations. Furthermore, tailored customs clearance solutions were developed for signature CEE products, such as dairy items and handicrafts, establishing "zero-distance service" as standard practice.

 

 

Ningbo Customs launches a dedicated service window for CEE goods clearance

 

 

II. Smart Connection with CEE Countries to Establish a "Green Channel" that Streamlines Production and Supply Chains

 

 

Ningbo Customs develops an "Access Information of Agri-Food Products Exported to China from CEECs"

 

 

Ningbo Customs, which oversees the daily operations of the China-CEEC Customs Information Center, has spent the past five years establishing a sophisticated "one-stop online service platform for customs regional cooperation." This platform serves governments, organizations, and businesses both in CEE countries and domestically by acting as a hub for communication, consultation, and monitoring and early warning. Through this initiative, Ningbo Customs has exclusively developed multiple online services, including the "One-stop Service for Imports from CEEC" and the "Access Information of Agri-Food Products Exported to China from CEECs". As of October 2025, the platform has published 24,300 articles in both Chinese and English. It has also managed inquiries from exporting companies and commercial attachés in countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovenia regarding product market access and cargo clearance. Additionally, the platform has released 174 analyses on China-CEEC trade monitoring, 129 monthly issues of the China-CEEC Trade Development Index, and three annual issues of the China-CEEC Trade Prosperity Index.

III. Discussions on Practical Customs Collaboration to Advance Shared Understanding and Operational Alignment

 

 

Ningbo Customs visits the "5+365"Permanent Exhibition Hall for Central and Eastern European Countries' Products

 

 

Under the guidance of the GACC, the China-CEEC Dialogue on Customs, Inspection and Quarantine Cooperationhas been successfully held in Ningbo for seven consecutive sessions. Ningbo Customs facilitated the exchange and collaboration among customs, inspection, and quarantine colleagues from China and CEE countries by focusing on sincere cooperation topics, meticulous foreign affairs support, and comprehensive agenda planning. Discussions spanned areas such as electronic certificates, market access for agricultural and food products, and smart customs initiatives. Notably, this year's 7th edition established a China-CEEC Customs, Inspection, and Quarantine Information Sharing and Liaison Mechanism, ensuring regular business communication with relevant CEEC institutions. Further strengthening ties, the China-CEEC Customs Information Center signed a Joint Statement with Bulgaria's Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries (APACCCEEC) this October, officially establishing a new type of inter-customs cooperative relationship. These "Seven Sessions" and "Two Ties" are continuously deepening the shared understanding and operational alignment between the customs, inspection, and quarantine departments of China and CEE countries.

IV. Future Outlook

The CEE region has become a key feature of Ningbo's opening-up and development. Annual container throughput between the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan and CEE countries surpasses one million TEUs. Furthermore, Ningbo port currently operates 12 maritime freight routes and three passenger-cargo routes connecting to CEE countries. This, along with the biennial expo and the customs dialogue platform, will consistently foster shared opportunities and joint development with friendly CEE countries.

Moving forward, Ningbo Customs will thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, execute the GACC's plan to deepen institutional cooperation in customs inspection and quarantine, and push forward customs cooperation between China and CEE countries. Key efforts will center on developing the China-CEEC Customs Information Center and exploring new models of cooperation with interested customs administrations. By continuously improving regulatory services, Ningbo Customswill support the upgrading of the Ningbo CEEC Demonstration Zone, contributing its strength to the high-quality joint development of the BRI.

 

 

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