Integrating Domestic and Foreign Trade to Serve Dual Circulation: Ningbo Advances Unified Market Development

 

 

As a key international trade gateway and advanced manufacturing hub, Ningbo has in recent years fully leveraged its unique advantages in port capacity, openness, industrial scale, and platform development. The city has made integrated domestic and foreign trade a central strategy to support the new dual-circulation development paradigm and drive high-quality economic growth.

By strengthening top-level design, enhancing interdepartmental collaboration, and stimulating enterprise initiative, Ningbo has pioneered effective approaches in aligning domestic and international trade rules, expanding market channels, and upgrading industries. In 2023, it was selected as one of China’s first pilot zones for integrated domestic and foreign trade, offering valuable “Ningbo experience” for the nation.

 

 

Image provided by the interviewed organization

 

 

Targeting at strengthening coordination to build a newintegrated development framework, Ningbo has formulated a series of specialized plans, including an implementation plan for the pilot zone, the China Tour for Foreign Trade Premium Products, and initiatives to support high-quality export-orientedproductsto expand the domestic marketin recent years,each outlining clear tasks and roadmaps.Support policies have been precisely tailored to different stages of enterprise development - from "clearing export inventory" to "shifting focus from foreign to domestic markets" and finally to "integrating domestic and international operations".Three iterations of specialized policies have focused on channel development, domestic market expansion, and brand building, providing enterprises with timely support and enabling growth for them.

To cultivate leading “chain-master” enterprises, Ningbo has established a tiered nurturing mechanism targeting dominant industries such as home appliances, garments, and stationery. To date, 252 enterprises have been recognized at provincial level or above as leaders in integrated domestic and foreign trade. These firms are positioned to act as "chain masters", playing a leading role in guiding and driving the development of their entire industrial chains.With the further implementation of “Thousand Enterprises Brand Building” initiative,the full-chain brand services have been enhanced, nurturing a total of 229 “Zhejiang Export Famous Brands” and 684 Enterprises who have been recognized as Defined Quality brand, significantly increasing the international influence of local brands.Additionally, by leveraging foreign trade transformation bases and industry associations, the city has built distinctive industrial clusters, designating 22 industrial bases as provincial-level pilots for integrated domestic-foreign trade reformand driving comprehensive upgrades in sectors such as textiles and apparel, modern furniture, and smart home appliances.

 

 

Image provided by the interviewed organization

 

 

Aiming at expanding diverse channels to open new pathways in the integrated market as well as helping foreign trade products efficiently access the domestic market, Ningbo has actively built online and offline integrated production-marketing platforms. Initiatives include the innovative Cixi Quality Products Pavilion, which offers comprehensive services, full industrial chain services, and the vigorous development of live-stream e-commerce. In 2024, bases such as Jiangbei Yahu and Yunshanggu  hosted over 3,000 special live-streaming events, generating sales of 228 million yuan and enabling “Ningbo products to reach consumers across the country”.Through key expos such as the China-CEEC Expo, the city has set up dedicated zones for foreign trade premiumproducts, organized targeted matchmaking sessions between enterprises and large hypermarkets as well as e-commerce platforms, and facilitated the entry of export-quality goods into government procurement systems, urban landmarks, and community markets, diversifying consumer touchpoints.Export-oriented products have also been incorporated into consumption campaigns like “Double Promotion and Double Prosperity” and trade-in programs, supported by the distribution of tens of millions of RMB yuan in consumption vouchers. These efforts both stimulate consumer spending and assist corporate transformation, delivering mutual benefits for the public and businesses.

A favorable business environment facilitatesdeeper integration between foreign and domestic trade. Ningbo has vigorously promoted standards and certification alignment, widely adopting the modelof “a single certification procedure for multinational acceptance” and ranking first in the province for internationally mutually recognized certificates. A targeted green channel policy for CCC certification of export products transitioning to domestic sales helps enterprises swiftly obtain domestic market access.The implementation of theRegulations of Ningbo City on Social Credithas extended the credit platform to all market entities, providing over 51 million credit services and integrating all credit restoration-related processes into a single, streamlined procedure. Stronger financial supportthrough supply chain finance, specialized credit, and domestic trade credit insurancehas effectively addressed corporate financing challenges, safeguarding expansion into the domestic market.

Next, Ningbo will continue efforts in three key directions: optimizing the ecosystem, expanding channels, and enhancing competitiveness. Priorities include advancing standards mutual recognition, improving the credit system, strengthening financial services, enhancing intellectual property protection, and innovating policy support to improve the environment for domestic sales.At the same time, the city will also implement the “Hundred Exhibitions, Thousand Enterprises” market expansion campaign, establish and operate exhibition centers for foreign trade premiumproducts, activate offline markets, develop online marketing, and facilitate producer-seller matchmaking to diversify channels.Efforts will focus on nurturing independent brands, guiding differentiated development, attracting and cultivating experts and talent, leveraging industry associations, and strengthening promotion to comprehensively enhance the core competitiveness and reputation of Ningbo’s foreign trade premium products in the domestic market.

 

 

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