During the 7th China-CEEC Dialogue on Customs, Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation (referred to as the Cooperation Dialogue) on April 22, GACC announced that the import and export trade volume between China and CEECs totaled RMB 329.68 billion in the first four months of this year, representing a 5.6% year-on-year increase and marking a record high for the same period in history.
Data show that in 2024, the bilateral trade volume between China and CEEC reached USD 142.27 billion, marking a 6.3% year-on-year increase. This growth rate surpassed China's overall import-export growth by 2.5 percentage points, demonstrating robust development momentum.
At the same time, the 4th China-CEEC Expo, the country's only national-level Expo dedicated to CEECs, took place in Ningbo from April 22 to 25, drawing participation from 400 exhibitors from CEECs. This year's Expo featured an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters, hosting over 400 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions. More than 8,000 specialty products from CEE were showcased, setting new records for exhibition area size, number of exhibitors, and variety of products on display.
Yinzhou Customs, under Ningbo Customs, is overseeing Expo supervision services for the 9th time. This year, it has refined its oversight methods for the Expo by introducing a pre-approval mechanism for exhibit filing, significantly boosting the efficiency of customs clearance for exhibits. Recognizing the influx of foreign exhibitors during the event, Yinzhou Customs proactively devised a comprehensive foreign-related legal education service chain covering the stages "pre-Expo, during the Expo, and post-Expo," further enhancing the foreign trade business environment.
Guided by the head of state's diplomatic strategies, the Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries is advancing positively, with customs cooperation identified as both a priority area and a key focus of this partnership. The China-CEEC Dialogue on Customs, Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation, a structured platform for customs consultations between China and CEECs, is centered on three pivotal themes this year: "Smart Customs, Safe Agri-Food, Sustainable Trade."
In recent years, China Customs has actively expedited the process for quarantine approval of agricultural and food products from CEECs. To date, 126 types of agricultural and food products from 14 CEECs have gained market access, and 3,430 overseas agribusinesses are registered. Increasing numbers of CEEC agricultural and food products are entering the Chinese market, generating more opportunities for businesses in the region while offering Chinese consumers a broader range of choices." Zhao Zenglian, the Deputy Customs Commissioner-General of GACC, remarked during his keynote speech at the Cooperation Dialogue. As reported, the bilateral trade volume between China and CEECs saw a year-on-year increase of 6.3% in 2024, with imports tallying up to USD 31.17 billion, marking a 3.7% increase and demonstrating robust growth momentum.
As the world's busiest port by annual cargo throughput, Ningbo Zhoushan Port serves as a vital barometer for observing China's import and export trade dynamics. According to the Global Times, Ningbo Zhoushan Port has established 12 shipping routes connecting five CEECs: Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, and Greece. Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled a total of approximately 800,000 TEUs on its CEE trade routes in 2024. Ningbo Zhoushan Port processed more than 300,000 TEUs on its CEE trade routes from January to April 2025, marking a year-on-year growth exceeding 25%.
According to data released by Ningbo Customs, the import and export trade volume between Ningbo and CEECs from January to April this year reached RMB 19.7 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 13.8%. Of this total, imports stood at RMB 3.63 billion, a decrease of 16.8%, while exports amounted to RMB 16.07 billion, a year-on-year increase of 24.1% compared to the same period last year.
China remains an undeniably attractive market for CEECs. At the Cooperation Dialogue, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tugomir Majdak emphasized, "We strongly encourage our producers and businesses to establish comprehensive ties with their Chinese counterparts, particularly in the food and agricultural sectors. We aspire for the cooperation between our two nations to grow even stronger. "
Gao Zhihao, Vice Chairman of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, shared a similar sentiment at the Cooperation Dialogue. He remarked that the economies of China and Europe are profoundly intertwined and mutually dependent. Collaboration with China not only offers Europe substantial market opportunities but also fosters tangible mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. He further highlighted that, amid escalating global uncertainties—especially in the wake of recent moves like the U.S. tariff hikes—businesses in China and around the world are grappling with significant challenges. The global supply chain has experienced major disruptions, intensifying the trend of economic fragmentation and placing immense pressure on the future of enterprises. "A considerable number of European companies remain confident in the long-term prospects of the Chinese model. This confidence reinforces our belief that deepening EU-China engagement is more crucial now than ever before. Finding solutions to overcome obstacles in the relationship, building consensus on the future path of cooperation, and continuously creating mutual value is imperative," Gao stated.
China is equally committed to enhancing cooperation with CEECs to achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. During his speech, Zhao noted that the world is undergoing unprecedented change at an accelerated pace. The global political and economic landscape is undergoing profound transformation, while international economic and trade rules are being redefined in a new round of adjustments. He emphasized that rising unilateralism and protectionism, coupled with rampant tariff bullying by certain nations, have posed significant threats to the global economic and trade order. Consequently, the development of the global economy and international trade faces numerous uncertainties. Nevertheless, economic globalization remains an irreversible historical trend, and the pursuit of win-win cooperation aligns with the shared aspirations of people worldwide.
Zhao further remarked that the multilateral trading system stands as the cornerstone of international trade and plays a vital role in steering global economic governance. As pivotal hubs in international trade, customs and inspection authorities worldwide must unite to champion free and inclusive trade principles. They must also resist the politicization and over-securitization of trade tools and work to uphold a multilateral trading system anchored by the WTO and governed by rules. China and the European Union, as the world's second and third largest economies, serve as vital economic and trade partners to one another. Over decades of development, China-EU economic and trade cooperation has evolved into a deeply rooted framework of mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. Customs and inspection-quarantine authorities bear the dual mission of safeguarding national borders while fostering economic growth. In addressing new challenges posed by economic globalization, they emphasized the strategic imperative of enhanced customs inspection-quarantine collaboration.
The Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for China-CEEC Cooperation Affairs Ambassador, Jiang Yu, attended the opening ceremony. In her remarks, she highlighted that the international landscape is undergoing profound changes and the global economy is facing significant challenges. She underscored China's role as a responsible major power, emphasizing its unwavering commitment to fostering world peace, driving global development, and safeguarding the international order. China remains committed to advancing high-quality development, deepening high-standard opening up, and fostering cooperation to achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes with all countries, including those in Central and Eastern Europe. By sharing development opportunities, China aims to bring greater stability and predictability to the global economy.
Jiang noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union. Amid current global dynamics, jointly forging the four key partnerships of peace, growth, reform, and civilization between China and Europe carries profound significance. China and Europe should uphold the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations, enhance strategic mutual trust, adhere to the positioning of partners, expand open cooperation, jointly defend multilateralism, maintain the trend of economic globalization and international trade environment, and promote the development of China-Europe relations in the direction of strategic stability and mutual achievement.
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Global Times. The Global Times version shall prevail.