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Category: Governmental News
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Published: Tuesday, 21 February 2012 10:02
The air quality in the urban area of Ningbo will be greatly improved in the near future as some of the buses, taxies, port container trucks are expected to use natural gas rather than petrol as fuel as required by the city government in the Gas-for-Petrol Scheme of Buses, Taxis, Container Trucks in the Urban Area which was released a couple of days ago.
According to the Scheme, by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan there will be 2500 natural gas buses in the urban area, to account for half of the total, with around 10 supporting service stations. There will be 3500 dual-fueled taxis (petrol and natural gas), accounting for 70% of the total, with 15 to 20 service stations providing two fuels. There will be 500 container trucks using natural gas, accounting for 40% of the total in Ningbo Port, with 3 to 4 service stations providing LNG.
Currently, there are over one million motor vehicles in the city. Emissions by vehicles are responsible for 30% of the air pollutants in Ningbo among which the most frequently used buses and taxis account for nearly a half. All of these constitute a major threat to the quality of the air. It is indicated that emissions of various toxic gases can be reduced by 85%, noise by 40% if natural gas is used. Also, the cost of this fuel is lower than petrol. Natural-gas-fueled buses and taxis are widely seen in cities of Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an.
The scheme will be carried out in six districts in Ningbo step by step. The rest places can make some adjustments with a reference to their own situations.
According to the scheme, targeted vehicles for natural gas are buses, taxis and port container trucks in the urban area. LNG( liquefied natural gas) is more suitable for container trucks and passenger buses with heavy weight, big displacement and long-distance drive. CNG (compressed natural gas) is more suitable for cars, taxis and buses. Taking these elements into consideration, buses are expected to rely on both LNG and CNG, taxis on CNG and port container trucks on LNG only.
In response to those changes in vehicle fuels, the construction of LNG, CNG or L-CNG stations will be added to laying-out of bus stations. CNG stations or LNG-and-Petrol stations will be added to urban planning and LNG station added to ports. Presently, the construction of city natural gas station has already been started.
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Category: Ningbo Business
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Published: Tuesday, 21 February 2012 10:02
According to Ningbo Customs, imports from Taiwan via Ningbo Port in 2011 stood at 8.06 billion US dollars, accounting for more than 10% in the total import volume. Among them, the value of ECFA products reaches 1.264 billion USD, accounting for 40.62% of the national total, ranking the first among all ports.
ECFA (Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement) early harvest lists were formally implemented on January 1st, 2011. The mainland promises tariff preferences on 557 products and tariff will be reduced to zero during 3 phases in 2 years. In the past year, the range of exports from Taiwan has expanded from single chemicals to 136 other commodities such as mountain bikes and auto parts. As an important chemical base, Ningbo has a great demand for chemical raw materials. Last year alone, Ningbo imported 355,000 tons of xylene, worth 580 million USD, up 48.6% and 1.3% respectively.
The ECFA Early Harvest Program starts the second-phase tariff reduction from 2012. Except for the 30 products with a tax rate reduced from 15% to 5%, the rest are no longer taxed. In the first week in January, Ningbo Customs has received 29,000 tons of imported Taiwan products, worth about 40 million USD.
A batch of enterprises in Ningbo have benefited from ECFA Early Harvest Program. Import of Taiwan products via Ningbo Port has enjoyed tariff preferences of 186 million yuan in 2011.
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Category: Governmental News
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Published: Tuesday, 21 February 2012 10:01
III. Multifarious Policies Made to Assist the transition and upgrading of enterprises
According to news from the working conference of Ningbo's industrial and commercial administration held a couple of days ago, the authority for the administration of industry and commerce was determined to continuously carry out preferential policies to promote regional economic development.
In the previous year, Ningbo authority of industry and commerce drafted a series of policies and regulations to support the reform of new industry and culture industry, the listing, restructuring and merging of enterprises after in-depth investigation, which has correspondingly attained its goals to some extent. Market entities in 2011 increased by 94, 668, amounting to 498,805 in total which were all of higher qualities.
The authority has also made great efforts to build and maintain brands and trademarks. The registered trademarks of 2011 increased by 19,426, and 10 were verified as reputed trademarks by the administration and 45 verified as renowned ones of Zhejiang Province. In addition, the authority successfully cracked down counterfeit products of Deli Stationary and Youngor nationwide for the first time, winning itself the Gold Medal for Protecting Trademarks awarded by the World Intellectual Property Organization and SAIC jointly.
In the construction of the network for safeguarding consumers' rights, the government has built 3,034 offices of "one association and two sites" which means the branch of Consumers Association and the site for complaining and the 12315 contact center. It has also set up 782 contact centers for rights protection, saving 25.34 mln yuan for consumers.
It is learned that in the coming year, Ningbo’s industrial and commercial administration would work harder to facilitate and ensure the rapid while steady economic and social development of Ningbo.
III. To promote marine development through science and technology and develop the new marine industry
The extent to which the new marine industry develops decides on the competitiveness of the marine economy. Ningbo has enrolled the development of marine high technology as a key strategic new industry. It is expected that in five years the added value of the new marine industry accounts for 30% of the marine gross product and the contribution rate of technology in the marine economy takes up above 70%.
First, to improve the research and development system of technology. An open and mark vet-oriented marine technology innovation system that combines learning with research and production and takes enterprises as its mainstay is to be set up to increase the capacity for independent innovation. Special attention will be paid to key fields such as equipment manufacturing, biomedicine and seawater comprehensive utilization to acquire key technology of independent intellectual property. Support will be given to the establishment of marine comprehensive research institute with Ningbo University as the base. Enterprises, social organizations and individuals are encouraged to establish marine technology and research innovation center and to build marine basic research platform, hi-tech R&D platform and technology application platform. Second, to speed up transformation of hi-tech achievements. Support policies for the industrialization of hi-tech achievements and the function of regional technology trading center are to be improved. Pilot enterprises are to be established to promote the new marine industry cluster.
Third, to enlarge the scale of emerging industries. Emerging industries including equipment manufacturing, clean energy, biological engineering, biomedicine, seawater comprehensive utilization and new marine materials are to be promoted to improve the industrialization level and competitive edge. Extension projects (Phase II and phase III) of Zhejiang Shipyard, extension projects of Samsung Heavy Industries and marine diesel engines of Ningbo CSI Power & Machinery Group Co., Ltd. are to be promoted. The establishment of Ningbo LNG terminal and reserve bases are to be sped up. Wind power plants including southeast coastal area of Xiangshan, Hangzhou bay new zone and Beilun Chuanshan Island will be established. Meanwhile, modern marine fishery is to be further developed and aquatic product processing zones are to be set up. Forward contract trading of main fishery products and oil tanker industry are to be developed to promote the coastal tourism.
The establishment of the key demonstration area of marine economy is an important strategy that concerns the future. We should set up an secure system of policies, talents, basic infrastructures and marine comprehensive management according to the 3-Thinks and 3 Pursues Campaign to transform the growth pattern of the marie economy and build Ningbo into a municipality of strong marine economy
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Category: Ningbo District
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Published: Tuesday, 21 February 2012 10:01
Due to the severe cold spell in the northern hemisphere, Europe and US were terribly battered by the heavy snow recently. However, foreign trade enterprises in Ningbo find enormous business opportunities. According to Ningbo Customs, containers with down jackets, heating equipment and other commodities are being exported to Europe and North America.
Despite the instability and uncertainty of world economy, foreign trade enterprises in Ningbo are seeking new opportunities. According to the statistics from Ningbo Customs, the foreign trade via Ningbo Port reached 17.86 billion USD in January, 2001, up 4.2% over the previous year. EU continues to be the largest export market of Ningbo Port. The trade volume between EU and Ningbo was 3.63 billion USD, up by 4.4%, with 3.32 billion USD of export output increased by 5.3%. The export output to US market reached 1.95 billion USD, up by 4.8%.
Those responsive private enterprises took the lead to embark new market in Europe and US. Several days ago, Ningbo New Ziyuntang Aquatic Products Co. Ltd and American North Food Co. Ltd reached an agreement that traditional Chinese food like dried purple seaweeds and potherb mustard will be put into US market no later than March, 2012. Apart from the existing product lines, Ningbo South Pacific Hotel Device Co. Ltd has started to produce table furnishing articles and has seen orders filing in from EU market after Spring Festival. It is estimated that import and export output of Ningbo private enterprises has hit 8.45 billion USD in January, up 9.4% and accounting for 47.3% in the total volume that time.
Due to seasonal factors like the Spring Festival holiday, importations of plastics in primary forms, metal scraps, coal, grain and other resource commodities have decreased