By Jin Lu

In the first half of 2025, trade between Ningbo and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) reached 30.67 billion yuan ($4.27 billion), up 13.7% year-on-year, according to data from Ningbo Customs.

Exports totaled 25.25 billion yuan, surging 20.1%, while imports came in at 5.42 billion yuan. The figures underscore Ningbo's growing role as a key hub for economic cooperation between China and CEEC.

Seven countries - Poland, Slovakia, Greece, Czechia, Romania, Hungary, and Slovenia - accounted for nearly 90% of Ningbo's trade with the region.

Exports of mechanical and electrical goods, including household appliances, electrical components, and auto parts, drove much of the growth, contributing 12.6 percentage points to the overall increase.

Minth Group, a Ningbo-based auto parts firm, exported 250 million yuan to CEEC markets, marking a 3.8-fold increase. The company's strategy of exporting Chinese technologies to Serbia for local assembly has helped lower costs and tailor products to regional needs. "The CEEC market is our launchpad for global growth," said Yu Ke, the firm's customs manager.

On the import side, CEEC goods are gaining ground in China. High-value items such as automobiles and industrial equipment are joined by rising imports of Polish dairy, Hungarian wine, and Serbian agricultural products.

To support growing trade volumes, Ningbo Customs has rolled out an online platform for users to check the list of approved CEEC agro-food imports and continues to release EU export compliance updates through the China-CEEC Customs Information Center.