By Lu Xinyan

Ningbo's imports and exports with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) reached 62.31 billion yuan in the first seven months of this year, up 11.3% from a year earlier, according to Ningbo Customs. Exports rose 18.7% to 53.55 billion yuan, while imports totaled 8.76 billion yuan.

India and Pakistan were Ningbo's main trading partners among SCO members. Major imports included unwrought copper, copper products and other industrial raw materials, as well as agricultural products. Exports were led by mechanical and electrical products, high-tech goods and electric vehicles.

At Ningbo Vasion Electric Appliance Co., Ltd., four production lines were running at full capacity as workers prepared a batch of air fryers for export to India. "Indian consumers have strong demand for small household appliances, and our air fryers are popular on local e-commerce platforms," said Zhao Yali, a company representative.

Vasion has tailored its products to local preferences by participating in international trade fairs, studying Indian food culture and adjusting product designs accordingly. For the Indian market, the company has expanded the grilling area of its roasters, added multiple grill racks and increased the capacity of its air fryers to better suit local cooking habits.

In the first seven months of the year, Vasion exported 79.221 million yuan worth of roasters, yogurt makers, air fryers and other products to SCO member states, nearly quadrupling from a year earlier.

On the import side, Ningbo has also seen a steady flow of industrial raw materials from SCO member states. Imports of unwrought copper and copper products reached 2.07 billion yuan in the first seven months, up 33.5% year on year.

Ningbo Dongjun Ruidi Metal Materials Co., Ltd. imported copper ingots from Pakistan for the first time this year, with imports reaching nearly 80 million yuan within just a few months. "Pakistan's copper ingots are highly pure and contain few impurities, making them suitable for processing into high-end copper products and supporting Ningbo's manufacturing supply chain," said the company's procurement manager.

The company plans to diversify its sources of raw materials further, drawing on the mineral resources and increasingly advanced smelting and processing capabilities of other SCO member states to strengthen the resilience of its supply chain.