Ningbo Customs Director and CPC Committee Secretary Dang Yingjie Discusses Elevating China-CEEC Customs Cooperation to New Heights

The Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) forms a crucial element of the "Belt and Road" initiative. The trade between China and CEECs in 2024 totaled RMB 1,012.343 billion, marking a 7.5% increase from the previous year, underscoring the robustness and enormous potential of bilateral trade relations. Ningbo stands as the sole city in China hosting the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone. Seizing this opportunity, it is advancing towards substantial high-standard opening up and positioning itself as the prime destination for commodity imports from CEECs.

The National Customs Work Conference 2025 emphasized the importance of "focusing on serving high-standard opening up and high-quality construction of the "Belt and Road" and "enhancing collaborative mechanisms for customs inspection and quarantine". During an exclusive interview with our reporter, Mrs. Dang Yingjie, Ningbo Customs Director and CPC Committee Secretary emphasized Ningbo Customs' commitment to rigorously implementing the initiatives outlined in the National Customs Work Conference. He emphasized the importance of advancing high-standard opening up and executing the General Administration of Customs (GACC)'s responsibilities in enhancing customs China-CEEC cooperation. Ningbo Customs aims to proactively showcase its accomplishments in smart customs development on the global stage and contribute to China Customs' leadership in international exchanges and cooperation in smart customs construction.

In 2021, President Xi Jinping stated at the China-CEEC Summit "to deepen cooperation in customs trade security and customs clearance facilitation. The Chinese side will advance the construction of the China-CEEC Customs Information Center and a focal point for customs clearance coordination for countries along the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line and is willing to establish cooperation pilots with customs of CEECs on "Smart Customs, Smart Borders, and Smart Connectivity. Under the guidance of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), Ningbo Customs has taken on the task of constructing the China-CEEC Customs Information Center. Mrs. Dang highlighted that over the past four years, the Information Center has significantly facilitated China-CEECs trade. It has amassed and disseminated over 20,200 articles in both Chinese and English on customs policies and related topics, with the website garnering over 3.1 million hits to date.

"Our goal is to establish a 'Ningbo model' for China-CEEC customs cooperation," affirmed Mrs. Dang." We're committed to pioneering an international cooperation framework within our directly affiliated customs departments, driven by four key elements: data collection, trade statistics, consulting resolutions, and hosting conferences. This positions us as a pivotal 'support pillar' for the GACC's ventures in Central and Eastern Europe." In pursuit of this aim, Ningbo Customs has mobilized experts proficient in English and business matters to address 135 inquiries from countries like Serbia and Bulgaria concerning agricultural product entry and cargo clearance. The agency has also released 154 reports on trade monitoring and published 119 editions of the Trade Development Index.

These innovative initiatives have not only strengthened Ningbo's economic and trade ties with CEECs but have also been instrumental in enlarging the scale of bilateral trade. Ningbo's trade with CEECs is projected to hit a record high in 2024, reaching RMB 56.13 billion, marking an 11.2% increase from the previous year and sustaining positive growth for the ninth consecutive year.

Mrs. Dang announced that Ningbo Customs will continue to support high-standard opening up, focusing on the execution of three main objectives in 2025:

Enhance communication and dialogue to fortify cooperative ties. "This year, Ningbo is set to host the fourth China-CEEC Expo. Simultaneously, the 7th China-CEEC Cooperation Dialogue on Customs and Inspection and Quarantine will convene in Ningbo," said Mrs. Dang. "As host of the Dialogue, Ningbo Customs is committed to providing exemplary hospitality, welcoming colleagues back to Ningbo to discuss innovations in smart customs and streamlining customs clearance processes."

Push forward with reform and innovation to enhance cooperative outcomes. Proactively engage in the risk assessment of agricultural and food product access from CEE, facilitating the entry of more high-quality products into the Chinese market. China-CEEC Customs Information Center will enhance its three core functions: communication and exchange, consultancy services, and monitoring and early warning. It will perpetuate trade analysis with CEECs by building a "data + analysis" trade framework, thereby offering strategic foresight to governmental bodies and businesses.

Enhance customs clearance services to unleash economic and trade potential. To endorse high-standard opening up and craft a standout open province, Ningbo Customs introduced 36 specific measures this year aimed at consistently elevating trade facilitation standards. "Among these measures is the implementation of a "zero delay" assurance to facilitate the seamless transit of commodities, including imports from CEECs, and a mechanism to ensure customs clearance remains uninterrupted during holidays. Additionally, a comprehensive service framework of 'pre-exhibition registration, in-exhibition oversight, and post-exhibition verification' has been established to simplify procedures for the China-CEEC Expo," explained Mrs. Dang. "These measures are poised to significantly boost trade volume growth in the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone."

"Embracing the new era and embarking on a new journey, Ningbo Customs is poised to advance with a more open stance and innovative strategies. These efforts aim to elevate China-CEEC customs cooperation to new heights, thereby fostering the high-quality growth of China-CEEC economic and trade relations," stated Mrs. Dang. (Ding Xiaojin and Xu Yanbo)

  Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of GACC. The GACC version shall prevail.