Focusing on the Central and Eastern European Market, Over 40 Enterprises from Ningbo Join Forces to "Go Abroad"

 

 

Group photo of Ningbo foreign trade team at the airport before departure, provided by the respondent

 

 

On March 31, at 12:38 a.m., China Eastern Airlines flight MU8623 took off from Ningbo to Budapest, Hungary. Onboard, 58 Ningbo foreign trade professionals embarked on a journey to Central and Eastern Europe to secure orders and expand markets.

"Business is conducted face-to-face. Our exports to Central and Eastern European countries account for only 10%, so we hope that by joining this government-led 'going abroad' initiative, we can better understand market demand, find new customers, and increase exports to emerging markets," Jin Xiaohu, sales manager of Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance, embarking on the journey with the company's new product catalog.

 

 

Photo of Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance Sample Showroom, provided by the respondent

 

 

The Ningbo Municipal Party Committee and Ningbo Municipal People's Government led the organization of over 40 enterprises to visit Central and Eastern Europe, primarily to participate in the "China-Hungary Trade and Investment Matchmaking Conference" hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the two countries in April. Meanwhile, these "foreign trade representatives" will visit enterprises and institutions in several Central and Eastern European countries to pave the way for the upcoming 4th China-CEEC Expo in Ningbo this May.

The reporter learned that the participating companies in this matchmaking conference represent a wide range of categories, including industrial manufacturing enterprises, domestic and international trade companies, logistics service providers, and tourism businesses.

Chai Xuhe, the general manager of Ningbo Ouyali Import and Export Co., Ltd., has been engaged in importing Hungarian Tokaji wines for more than a decade, with annual sales exceeding 500,000 bottles in China. He plans to introduce several new Hungarian wines, leveraging the Expo in May to further open up the Chinese market.

Striving to facilitate multiple "two-way cooperation" projects is a "small goal" for this trip for Fang Yu, the general manager of Ningbo Huaou International Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. "During the breaks between meetings, I will go to Slovakia to attract investment, encouraging more local enterprises to participate in the expo. At the same time, I will lead Ningbo technology companies to Romania to assess the investment environment."

 

 

The “CEX” Sets Sail at Ningbo Zhoushan Port. Photo by TideNews Reporter: Wang Kaiyi

 

 

Wang Lingjun is busy providing logistics services for Chinese companies seeking to "go abroad." He is the export manager at Zhejiang Portex Logistics Technology Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Seaport Group. At the end of last year, the company launched a direct "CEX" route from Ningbo Zhoushan Port to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and rented a warehouse near the port.

With the "routes+warehouse" model, goods from Chinese enterprises are transported to Germany and then trans-shipped to major countries in Central and Eastern Europe in just 30 days. Compared to the China-Europe Railway Express, the journey is 10 days shorter, and each container is significantly cheaper. Wang Lingjun stated that he hopes to use this opportunity to encourage more Chinese and European enterprises to learn about and choose the "CEX".

Lu Wenjie, the chairman of Yuyao Yangming Hot Spring Resort, revealed that he is primarily preparing for the transformation and upgrading of the enterprise. "Cities like Budapest also have hot springs. I want to see if there are suitable projects for investment locally; I also hope to communicate more with European counterparts to discuss how to develop two-way tourism resources better."

 

 

The 3rd China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair  Photo by TideNews Reporters: Yuan Jiaying, He Yuankai, Dong Xuming, Yu Biyin

 

 

In recent years, the Central and Eastern European market has developed rapidly, and Hungary, with its unique geographical advantages, has become a "bridgehead" for Chinese goods entering Europe. Ningbo, since its establishment in 2018 as the first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone in China, has achieved an average annual growth rate of 17.2% in its total import and export value with Central and Eastern European countries. In 2024, Ningbo's imports and exports to Central and Eastern European countries reached 56.13 billion yuan.

2025 marks the 13th anniversary of the establishment of the cooperation mechanism between China and CEE countries. In the first two months of 2025, the total import and export volume between Ningbo and CEE countries exceeded 10 billion yuan for the first time in the same period of history, reaching 10.2 billion yuan, an increase of 15.3% year-on-year. The 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair will be held in Ningbo from May 22 to May 25.

 

 

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  Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Tide News. The Tide News version shall prevail.