By Zhao Yu

At 4:50 p.m. on May 15, a shipment of down quilts from Budapest, Hungary, weighing 50 kilograms, arrived at the warehouse of Ningbo Yongze International Trading Co., Ltd. after a four-day journey, transiting through Ezhou, Hubei.

"This is just the beginning. 800 kilograms of Hungarian Tokaji wine are on the way next!" said Wang Shiyu, a representative from the company, as he signed for the delivery.

For Han Jun, Deputy Director of the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce, this marked a milestone: the first successful shipment under the new "1 Euro Express to China" logistics program. The initiative, spearheaded by the Central and Eastern European (CEE) Commodities Procurement Alliance, aims to dramatically streamline intercontinental trade.

Until now, most imports from CEE countries relied on sea freight, with transit times ranging from 40 days to two months, reducing shelf life and limiting flexibility. Many CEE products also face challenges such as niche market demand and slow turnover, increasing the risk of overstock and tying up capital for importers.

To address these issues, the CEE Commodities Procurement Alliance, headquartered in Ningbo, has partnered with SF Express to develop an innovative logistics solution.

The Alliance, whose 120+ member companies maintain warehousing hubs in Poland, Romania, and Hungary, connects CEE suppliers directly with the Chinese market. By leveraging SF Express's dedicated cargo flights and extensive domestic delivery network, goods can now reach major Chinese cities in a matter of days.

"Dedicated cargo flights offer a major advantage over passenger flights, slashing logistics costs from €1.5–2 per kilogram to just €1," said Chen Weijun, Executive President of the Alliance. "This addresses a long-standing pain point in China-CEE trade and allows businesses to confidently source high-value goods like specialty foods."

The express service complements a growing ecosystem of platforms in Ningbo. The CEE Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and the CEEC Products Permanent Exhibition Pavilion have played key roles in sourcing and trade facilitation.

Now in its tenth year, the Permanent Exhibition hosts more than 70 specialized trading companies and 37 national pavilions, showcasing nearly 5,000 CEE products.

In 2024, Ningbo's agricultural imports from CEE countries reached 230 million yuan, a 13-fold increase from a decade ago. Imports of dairy products and wine surged by 71-fold and 3-fold, respectively, over the same period—figures that underscore the growing appetite in China for premium goods from the region.