Copyright 2024 - Ningbo Life / Ningbo Expat

Ningbo ranks No.1 in China for the import under ECFA

The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) became effective in January this year, and this has boosted the trade between Ningbo and Taiwan. Statistics of Ningbo Customs show that in the first half this year, the import of Taiwan-made goods in the ECFA reaches 455,900 tons, valuing 738 million US dollars, covering 48.61% of the total import in the ECFA by China in the period, ranking No.1 in the country.

It is learned that the import of chemical materials covers a larger proportion. As an important chemical base, Ningbo has a great demand for chemical materials. The ECFA rules zero tariff for the chemical materials like acrylic and para-xylene and this made the Taiwan-made chemicals more competitive. From January to June, the import of para-xylene via Ningbo Customs values 340 million US dollars, and that of acrylic 290 million US dollars. The import of the two chemicals covers 80% of the total.

In addition to the chemicals, there has some increase in the import of Taiwan-made automobile components and mountain bikes, thanks to the competitive prices of these commodities.

To ensure the implement of the ECFA and promote the trade to Taiwan, Ningbo Customs has set up a special pass for the goods in the ECFA, which offers preferential services to the goods in the customs procedures.

Taiwan benefitted by Ningbo's import

The early harvest programme of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) is an important drive for the trade between Ningbo and Taiwan. According to statistics from Ningbo Customs, in the first half this year, out of the early harvest programme Ningbo imported 455,900 tons of commodities from Taiwan, valuing 738 million US dollars, covering 48.61% of the total import by China in the period. The import via Ningbo ranks No.1 in the country.

Of the imported commodities, the majority is chemical materials. With the implement of the early harvest program of the ECFA, the tariff to the chemical materials like acrylic and para-xylene has reduced to zero, and this made the Taiwan-made chemicals more competitive. In the first six months, the import of para-xylene via Ningbo customs is 340 million in value, and that of acrylic 290 million US dollars. In addition, the import of the Taiwan-made automobile components, mountain bikes and other daily commodities notably increased.

Thanks to the ECFA, in the first half of this year, the export in the early harvest programme via Ningbo customs reaches 43,250,000 US dollars, increased by 74% against the same period in the previous year.

On June 29, 2010, Chinese Mainland and Taiwan signed the ECFA and the early harvest programme was put in implement from January 1 this year. Tariff to about 800 commodities should be gradually reduced and zero tariff shall be implemented to all commodities within three years.

Ningbo's export of fire lighters to Japan

From September 28 this year, all the lighters that China exports to Japan should be certificated by the PSC. According to a related meeting, from July 1, Ningbo Joysun Product Testing Service Company will be the single testing organization accepted by Japan.

Japan is a large importing country of China-made lighters. In the last year, China's export of lighters to Japan amounted to 370 million, valuing 71,372,000 US dollars. Of the total, the number of Ningbo-made lighters amounted to 260 million, valuing 33,938,000 US dollars. With the coming PSC certification, in the first half of this year, some lighter manufacturers of Ningbo did make efforts to have their products certificated. However, then there were only authorized testing companies and all were in Japan. This not only raised the cost of the exported lighters but also slow down the export. In the first half of this year, the export of lighters to the Japanese market by those companies declined considerably.

Ningbo Joysun Product Testing Service Company was established in June 2001. As a central technical lab of Ningbo Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine, it is a national key lab, and one that is accepted by the ILAC and CNAS. The lab is mainly engaged in the safety and performance testing of the lighters to to exported through Ningbo customs. In 2008, European Union accepted the tests of the lab, and this promotes the export of China-made lighters to the EU market.

In May this year, Ningbo Joysun Product Testing Service Company passed the on-the-spot inspection of Japan, and was officially accepted by Japan as the only lighter testing organization outside Japan. This will considerably reduce the cost of the PSC for the manufacturers of lighters in China and the time needed for the testing is shortened by half a month.

Ningbo Shopping Festival to open on July 29

Ningbo Shopping Festival, a festival that opens every year, is to open very soon. The festival this year will be largest in scale and it promises to be a vest event for shopping, recreation, and traveling. To promote the festival and the citizens' participation, the organizers will carry out a series of award selection activities for three awards: the Award for Most Influential Brand, Award for Best Service, and Award for Best Shop Decoration.

The festival is from July 29 to August 7. The activities are of four themes: "Brand and Life", "Wisdom and Life", "Culture and Life", and "Consumption and Life".

The "Brand and Life" activity will include such events as Hong Kong Jewelry Exhibition, Ningbo Independent Brand Exhibition, "Consumption and Band Forum", Classic Brands Exhibition, and Exhibition of Dongfeng Motors. From July 30 to August 7, Hong Kong Jewelry Exhibition will open in the International Shopping Center. In the forum, the experts will have discussions of the relations of the consumption mode and the brands.

Besides shopping during the festival, consumers can have the chance to traditional handicraft shows, and have a walk on the Nantanghe Historical Street, having some experience of antiquity. In the Ningbo-France Week, you can experience the romance of France, watch the French street shows, go to the French Poster Exhibition, lectures on French luxuries, and French fashion exhibition and so on.

For students in the summer vacation, there will be sales of computers of Asus, LG, Sony and Lenovo.

The award selection will be made among the major shops, including Intime Department Store, Heyi Avenue Shopping Center, International Shopping Center, Yuehu Shengyuan Shopping Center, Ningbo No.2 Department Store, New Hualian Shopping Center, New World Department Store, Chenghuangmiao Department Store, Dongfang Department Store, Nanyuan Shoes, Suning Appliances, Gome, Five-star Home Appliance, Ningbo Sea World, Telephone World, and D.Phone.

The Award for Most Influential Brand will focus on the influence of brands, including international and Chinese brands. Each participant to the selection can submit to the organization committee five of its brands on the base of their sales in the last year or in the first half of this year and the organization committee will announce the candidates. The selection will be made by various ways including short messages of consumers, net voting, letter voting and experts' voting.

Total Retail Sales in the first half this year

According to Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Trade, from January and June, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 92.403 billion yuan, up by 16% over the same period of last year. In June, the growth rate reached 20.2%, ranking the first in Zhejiang.

From January and May, affected by such factors as the termination of the automobile replacement policy, the enlarged control of the real property market and the rise of commodity prices, affected by such factors as the termination of the automobile replacement policy, the enlarged control of the real property market and the rise of commodity prices, the sales value and growth rate of traditional commodities both declined. In June, however, with the adjustment of the personal tax system, the control of the commodity price, and the upgrading of consumption, the consumer market considerably recovered.

In June, the wholesale value reached 5.468 billion yuan, increased by 45.1%, covering 5.92% of the gross retail sales of consumer goods. It is the major factor that contributes to the rise of rise of the gross retail sales of consumer goods. The total sales on the retail markets reached 78.767 billion yuan, increased by 14.5%, covering 85.24% of the gross retail sales of consumer goods. The turnover of the catering business reached 6.734 billion yuan, increased by 14.7% over the precious year, covering 7.29% of the gross retail sales of consumer goods. The turnover of the accommodation business increased by 10.9%, covering 1.56% of the total.

Related person from Ningbo Trade Bureau says, in the latter half this year, the price of port is likely to drop down, and the pressure of the price of commodity might be relaxed, the Japan-made cars might be more in supply, and the state might release some macro-control policies to boost consumption, all this is likely to promote the recovery of the consumer market of the city, to the degree that the retail aggregate of social consumer goods might increase by 16%.

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