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In the current complex and ever-changing international situation, Ningbo's opening-up to the outside world is still progressing steadily.

According to the statistics of Ningbo Customs, in the first quarter of this year, the import and export of Ningbo to the countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road" reached 174.24 billion yuan, an increase of 14.7% over the same period last year (the same below), and the scale reached a new high in the same period of history. Among them, exports amounted to 106.33 billion yuan, an increase of 21.7%, while imports amounted to 67.91 billion yuan, an increase of 5.2%.

In addition to the traditional European and American markets, the countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road", including the ten ASEAN countries, South Korea, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and Russia, are all important trading partners of Ningbo in the first quarter of this year. Ningbo is accelerating the construction of the "the Belt and Road" hub city, so that "Made in China" is closely linked to "World demand".

Expand the 'circle of friends'

Last week, we just won an order from the Philippine education department worth over 3 million US dollars! "On April 26th, Li Dan, the manager of the Import and Export Department of Ningbo Huamao International Trade Co., Ltd., remotely" reported "this good news to reporters at the 137th Canton Fair Phase II.

Li Dan's company has been deeply involved in the cultural and educational equipment industry for over 40 years. Since 2021, the company has begun to undertake government procurement projects in ASEAN countries such as the Philippines and Thailand, enabling Chinese made teaching instruments to serve the transformation and upgrading of local science and education industries. In the first quarter of this year, the company's exports of teaching instruments and equipment to the ASEAN market reached over 2 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of about 15%.

We are still expanding our product line. For example, the wooden toys with mortise and tenon structures showcased at this year's Canton Fair have caught the attention of many foreign businesses. A Korean businessman asked, 'Can we have some of every style?' At the same time, we have also undertaken a project for a science museum in the Philippines, providing not only teaching equipment but also a complete design plan, which is expected to be delivered in the second half of the year, extending from selling products to selling services, "said Li Dan.

The footsteps of Li Dan and his colleagues' hard work have created a constantly expanding "circle of friends" for Ningbo's foreign trade. According to the data, in the first quarter of this year, mechanical and electrical products and labor-intensive products were the main exports of Ningbo to the countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road", with exports of 64.41 billion yuan and 18.41 billion yuan, up 24.8% and 13.7% respectively.

While basing on the export of advantageous industries, another group of Ningbo enterprises increased the import of energy and minerals, and continued to deepen the economic and trade cooperation with the "the Belt and Road" countries. In the first quarter of this year, Ningbo imported 8.81 billion yuan of unwrought copper and copper products from the the Belt and Road countries, up 17.4%; Imported basic organic chemicals amounted to 6.43 billion yuan, an increase of 50.1%; Imported primary shaped plastics amounted to 6 billion yuan, an increase of 9.4%.

Make good use of 'paper gold'

In the process of Ningbo enterprises' integration into the "the Belt and Road", the certificate of origin, known as "paper gold", is playing an increasingly critical role.

In the first quarter of this year, the Ningbo region issued 54500 certificates of origin for export to the "the Belt and Road" countries, with a visa amount of 16.095 billion yuan, up 11.46% and 10.6% year on year respectively. This not only reflects the enthusiasm of Ningbo enterprises to "explore" the relevant market, but also indicates that more and more enterprises are making full use of policy dividends and making free trade agreements a "weapon" for expanding the market.

Jinlang Technology Co., Ltd. is the world's third-largest manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters, with products exported to over 10 countries and regions including Indonesia, Pakistan, and Malaysia. In the first quarter of this year, the company enjoyed a preferential amount of over 110000 yuan with the China ASEAN Free Trade Area Certificate of Origin, driving a year-on-year increase of about 30% in export volume.

The well grid inverters we send to Vietnam can enjoy zero tariff benefits with the certificate of origin. This not only greatly enhances the market competitiveness of the products, but also adds important bargaining chips to foreign trade negotiations, "said Bao Andan, a salesperson at Jinlang Technology." Vietnam, Thailand and other places are our key markets for expansion. With the help of customs, we have a deep understanding of the rules of the free trade agreement, self printed the certificate of origin, and greatly reduced trade costs

According to the relevant person in charge of Ningbo Customs, at present, China has signed 14 free trade agreements, including China ASEAN, China Pakistan, China Singapore, China Chile, and China Georgia, with the countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road". Among them, the economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN, coupled with the opportunity of RCEP coming into effect, enjoys more dividends in tariff reductions, rules of origin, trade facilitation, and other aspects.

Building a new platform

For Ningbo enterprises, "Digging for gold" and jointly building a "the Belt and Road" country can not only pass the "old brand" events such as the Canton Fair, but also have many new channels for cross-border e-commerce export.

Come on baby, join the Russian blue ocean market! ”On the first day of the 137th Canton Fair, Li Chen, a cross-border partner of Fuyao, was busy attending another foreign trade event in Shenzhen - the official announcement conference of Wildberries 2025, a local e-commerce platform in Russia. As the head of the Ningbo branch of the Wild Berry China Merchant Service Center, he hopes to help more small and medium-sized enterprises go cross-border to Russia.

Under the current foreign trade situation, many Ningbo enterprises have realized that 'don't put all your eggs in one basket', and the 'Russian version of Taobao' Wild Berry is a good platform. Ningbo's small home appliances, textiles and clothing, automotive parts, etc. can fill the gap in the demand for light industrial products in Russia, a major heavy industrial country, "Li Chen told reporters.

In addition to wild berries, Romania's leading e-commerce platform eMAG has also established a Yangtze River Delta (Ningbo) operation center in Cixi, providing one-stop services such as e-commerce operations, warehousing and logistics, and supply chain finance for cross-border exports. Represented by TikTok, social media has opened up a pathway for Ningbo enterprises to export content e-commerce to ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore.

What is even more exciting is that the 4th China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and International Consumer Goods Expo (hereinafter referred to as the 4th Central and Eastern European Expo) will be held in Ningbo from May 22nd to 25th this year. This national level exhibition at the doorstep of Ningbo citizens will effectively promote bilateral trade, two-way investment, and cultural exchanges between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

It is reported that during the 4th Central and Eastern European Expo, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the General Administration of Customs, and the All China Friendship Association will hold heavyweight events such as the 9th Conference of the China Central and Eastern European Countries Joint Chamber of Commerce, the 7th China Central and Eastern European Countries Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue, and the 2025 China Central and Eastern European Countries Mayors Forum in Ningbo, which are expected to achieve a series of cooperation results.