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Category: Ningbo District
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Published: Tuesday, 24 January 2012 17:35
In 2011, the foreign trade via Ningbo Port for the first time exceeded 200 billion USD. According to the latest statistics from the Ningbo Customs, the import and export output reached $ 200.44 billion, up 24.2% over the previous year, making Ningbo a member of the “200 billion USD club" of I/E trade.
In terms of the trade volume, Ningbo Port is the seventh largest in China, only next to the ports of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao and Huangpu.
Analysts believe this is an important milestone for Ningbo to pace up in building a first-class international port. It also marks the transition for Ningbo from a transportation port to a trade logistics port.
"200 billion USD of foreign trade has made great contribution to the fast yet steady economic growth of Ningbo last year", said Xu Gaochun, deputy secretary-general with Ningbo Municipal Government and director with the Port and Anti-smuggling Office of Ningbo.
Moving towards a first-class international port
Foreign trade via port is an important indicator of a city's competitiveness. Trade goes hand in hand with logistics. The development of trade promotes the growth of cargo throughput and container transport as well as port services, making tremendous revenue.
From 2007 to 2011, import and export output rose from $ 111.8 billion to $ 200.44 billion. Apart from the negative growth in 2009 which was due to the financial crisis, the growth in rest of the years was over $ 20 billion, with $ 39.1 billion last year.
Owing to the rapid growth of foreign trade, Ningbo has consolidated its role as a large port. Last year, Ningbo Port yielded 433 million tons' cargo throughput, with 230 million tons' foreign trade cargo throughput, up by 13.26% than the previous year. Its container throughput reached 14.512 million TEU, up by 11.6, ranking among the best in the world.
Port is playing a more important role in national economy. In 2011, Ningbo Customs received 75.692 billion yuan, up by 33.22%, reaching a historical high.
Yao Chengguang, chief with Ningbo Customs said, $ 200.44 billion is the statistics of the local areas by Ningbo Customs. In fact, the cargoes outgoing and coming in via the Port of Ningbo that are declared in customs elsewhere in China is far more than that. Taking Yiwu as an example, there are thousands of container lorry going between the city and Ningbo. These goods are declared in their local customs rather than in Ningbo.
Give full play to the hinterland
At the beginning of last year, while Ningbo is speeding up to build a first-class international port, the slogan "fine port environment, high working efficiency, fast customs clearance, low overall costs and a leading role among similar ports in the country" is listed in the targets of the twelfth five year plan.
"In the final analysis, the competitiveness of a port depends on the soft environment, which means fast and convenient customs clearance and fine port resources like coastline and terminals", said Chen Guorong, vice president with Ningbo Port Co.Ltd.
As many innovative services and reforms like joint transport of container highway, sea and railway through transport, assorted clearance and express release of exports are launched, shipping tycoons worldwide are opening routes in Ningbo. At the end of last year, 236 container lines have been opened, including 126 ocean-going main lines and 58 off-shore lines. There are 1268 container liner services each month in all.
Off-site companies have a say on the overall environment of the port. In 2011, foreign trade of these companies through Ningbo Port reached $ 122.76 billion, up by 27.9%, accounting for 61.2% of the total foreign trade that time, up 1.7 point than the end of last year.
The indirect hinterland of Ningbo Port has expanded to the rest of Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, Jiangxi Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Zhejiang-Jiangxi railway, the middle and upper reaches of Yangtz River as well as southwest and northwest areas.
Foreign trade via port depends on the extent of the hinterland. In some sense, it is natural that Ningbo Port has yielded over $ 200 billion last year.
Striving for an international port
After surpassing the threshold of $ 200 billion, how can Ningbo's foreign trade enjoy a better development?
Yejian, deputy chief with Ningbo Customs, said that Ningbo should work hard in bringing more imports so as to strive a balance between import and export. For example, the import of bulk cargo like grain and crude oil as well as medicine, medical appliance, machinery and equipment should be increased.
Last year, Ningbo Port yielded import of $ 76.69 billion, up by 26% and export of $ 123.75 billion, up by 23.1%. "It is a very good beginning that the growth of import is faster than export. But it is not enough", said Xu Gaochun. It is a vital way to develop import trade vigorously if Ningbo is to build a first-class international port. Tianjin and Huangpu's foreign trade has been soaring since its auto import is allowed.
At the same time, Ningbo Port needs to transform from a port of China to a port of the world. Experts say Ningbo should learn from Singapore, the largest transit port in the Asian-Pacific region. It should also strive to improve its re-export capacity, give full play to its role as a logistics hub and take the initiative to go global in order to achieve new development in foreign trade
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Category: Ningbo District
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Published: Thursday, 19 January 2012 18:03
The foreign trade via Ningbo Port has made a historical breakthrough, with the total exceeding 200 billion US dollars. On the afternoon of January 12, Xu Gaochun, Vice Secretary General of Ningbo Municipal Government, declared that in 2011, the import and export output through the port of Ningbo reaches 200.44 US dollars, increased by 24.2% over the previous year, making a historical new high. Of the total, the import is 76.69 billion US dollars, increased by 26%; the export 123.75 billion, increased by 23.1%.
In the last year, Ningbo further opened to the opening to the outside world. Related departments like the customs, the commodity inspection, marine affairs and so on further optimized the customs and inspection services.
In the meanwhile, Ningbo opened the regular container trains to Shangrao and Taizhou and promoted the reform of the customs and direct release services for exported commodities. In the last year, the efficiency for the customs clearance rose by 16.26% and 11.7%.
The port of Ningbo is becoming a very important one in China. "Compared with the port of Qingdao and the port of Shanghai, the port of Ningbo is most attractive for us," said Li Jingchen, General Manager of Qingdao Jilong International Logistic Company. In 2010, about 30% of the total export by the company is through the port of Ningbo. In the last year, the proportion rose to 80%.
The statistics of the General Administration of Customs show that the volume of import and export via the port of Ningbo covers 5.5% of the total of import and export of China, only next to Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao and Huangpu. In the import of such commodities as petroleum, iron ore, liquid chemicals, coal, wine and fruits, the port of Ningbo plays a very important role
