Ningbo’s Winning Run in the Global Trade Marathon

 

 

 

 

 

 

From its origins as an eastern departure point of the Maritime Silk Road during the Tang and Song dynasties to its current status as the world’s first port to handle over one billion tons of cargo, Ningbo has carried the DNA of foreign trade for millennia, showcasing the dynamic vitality of China’s race against time in global commerce. The city’s total import-export value surged from 276.1 billion yuan in 2005 to 1.42 trillion yuan in 2024, reaching 843 billion yuan in the first seven months of 2025. Over the past two decades, Ningbo’s foreign trade growth has consistently accelerated. Behind these impressive results, customs brokers, acting as critical links in the foreign trade supply chain, have witnessed every heartbeat of this “Oriental Mega-Port.”

From Paper Documents to Smart Clearance: Accelerating Global Reach

Liu Haifeng, Customs declaration manager at Ningbo J.X. Customs Broker Co., Ltd., has been engaged in Customs declaration for 23 years. These days, he spends more time visiting manufacturing enterprises, helping them tackle challenges and comply with national policies during the Customs declaration process. “When I first started the business, we could only handle declarations for goods moving through the Port of Ningbo, and I had to carry heavy stacks of paper documents between Customs offices and terminals,” recalled Manager Liu. “The process from preparing paper documents and submitting declarations to having them reviewed manually at Customs counters and finally delivering release notices to the terminals for cargo release, often kept us working past midnight.” He added, “The landscape changed when Customs launched paperless clearance trials in 2012, and then national Customs integration in 2017, which enabled interconnectivity of data and information across Customs districts. We gained the flexibility to choose where to declare, pay duties, and undergo inspections. With just a click, goods are cleared. It is a huge leap in trade facilitation. Reforms continued with the ‘Two-Step Declaration’ pilot and expanded use of ‘advanced declaration’, etc. in 2019. The construction of smart Customs was launched in 2023, and this year, to further aid in expanding opening-up, Ningbo Customs has introduced 36 measures tailored to local conditions to support the province's goal of building a high-caliber open economy. All these initiatives have given me a growing sense of the efficiency and seamless experience of what we call 'frictionless clearance'.”

From “Made in China” to “Sold Globally”: Expanding Market Horizons

“We recently declared a batch of electrical equipment destined for Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). The clearance was smooth throughout, reflecting growing international demand for Chinese products,” said Sun Jingxia, business manager at Ningbo Bonded Zone Jieda Customs Brokerage Co., Ltd. With 24 years of experience in Customs brokerage, Manager Sun has observed a clear trend toward market diversification. “In the past, we depended heavily on European and American markets and were highly susceptible to their trade policies, including trade barriers and sudden changes in clearance procedures. Now, countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative have become our key trading partners, with notable growth in emerging markets like Africa and CEECs.” From January to July 2025, Ningbo’s import-export volume with Belt and Road partner countries reached 425.58 billion yuan, an increase of 11.6 percent, accounting for 50.5 percent of the city’s total trade. Its import-export value with Africa grew 23.3 percent to 50.24 billion yuan, while trade with CEECs rose 12.1 percent to 35.91 billion yuan.

From Traditional Manufacturing to Tech-Driven Value: Unlocking Greater Value in Exports

Fang Jiuping, manager of Customs Affairs Department from SINOTRANS NINGBO INT'L CONTAINER TRANS CO., LTD. was reviewing recent declaration documents in his office. "I’ve been in this industry for 25 years, starting from handling customs declarations. Back then, we mainly processed plastic goods, textiles, and general merchandise. Now, the export declarations have shifted toward more high-tech, high-value-added products like photovoltaics and automobiles," said Manager Fang. He opened his logbook to reveal that the department’s export declaration volume for automobiles and auto parts increased by 80 percent year-on-year in 2025. This trend is highly consistent with Ningbo’s current foreign trade performance. From January to July 2025, the city’s exports of high-tech products reached 39.38 billion yuan, up 14.3 percent, while exports of the "New Three" categories of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products totaled 18.12 billion yuan, a surge of 47.6 percent. Notably, electric vehicle exports alone hit 8.61 billion yuan, skyrocketing by 236.6 percent and exports of auto parts rose 6.1 percent to 18.94 billion yuan.

The stories of Customs brokers reflect Ningbo’s foreign trade transformation: transitioning from manual document handling to digital processes, from traditional markets to diversified global footprints, and from competing on cost to leading with technology. By continuously enhancing its competitiveness, Ningbo is reinforcing its position among China’s top-tier foreign trade hubs. As an official from Haishu Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs, stated, "Ningbo’s foreign trade has demonstrated strong resilience. Customs will continue to improve the port business environment, promote facilitated measures such as 'advance declaration' and 'Ship-side Direct Pickup', and support specialized sectors including imports from CEECs and cross-border e-commerce, thereby bolstering Ningbo’s role as a pivotal hub in the 'dual circulation' strategy."

 

 

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