Exceeding 40 billion yuan! Strong export momentum of automobiles at Ningbo Port in 2025

Ningbo Meishan CITIC Port connected automobile yard. Zhang Peng/Photo
　　
Author: Zhang Fangfang, Chen Bing, He Yixing, Zhu Wei
　　
In winter, at the Messi Roll on/Roll off Terminal in Zhoushan Port, Ningbo, brand new cars orderly boarded the "Forest Glory" roll on/roll off ship. Under the supervision of Meishan Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs, more than 2100 cars traveled to overseas markets. In 2025, Ningbo Port's automobile exports will demonstrate strong resilience and growth vitality.
According to statistics from Ningbo Customs, by 2025, Ningbo Port will have exported a total of 428000 vehicles, with an export value of 43.48 billion yuan, an increase of 78.8% and 84.4% year-on-year respectively, achieving a simultaneous increase in both quantity and price, setting a new historical high. Among them, the export of new energy vehicles is particularly impressive. By 2025, a total of 267000 vehicles will be exported, with an export value of 30.6 billion yuan, an increase of 300.8% and 305.8% year-on-year, accounting for 70.4% of the total automobile export value at Ningbo Port and serving as an important driving force for the growth of automobile exports.
We have deeply connected with the expansion of roll on/roll off shipping routes at Ningbo Port, as well as the "one-stop" supervision of containers, to create a full chain one-stop service for customers from booking, customs clearance to overseas delivery. By 2025, our company's automobile export business volume will increase significantly, with a total of more than 100000 vehicles exported to the global market, a year-on-year increase of 38%. Among them, new energy vehicles account for 55%, "said Chen Xue, Deputy General Manager of Ningbo Xiaohe Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.
"In 2025, the automobile export of Ningbo Port will present a multi market pattern, and the traditional markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and the European Union will remain stable, with the export volume of 13.78 billion yuan, 3.58 billion yuan, and 3.41 billion yuan respectively. The export performance of emerging markets such as Türkiye, Mexico, and Algeria will be very bright, with the export volume increasing by 795.9%, 525.4%, and 434% year on year respectively. Among the business entities, private enterprises are the main force, with the export volume reaching 35.49 billion yuan, up 124.4% year on year, accounting for 81.6% of the automobile export volume of Ningbo Port." Zhang Qingyun, deputy chief of the Second Comprehensive Business Section of Meishan Customs, said.
The rapid growth of automobile exports at Ningbo Port is inseparable from a series of "combination punches" launched by Ningbo Customs to benefit enterprises. For example, in the 'one-stop' regulatory mode, the processes of car packing and inspection are all carried out in the same venue, reducing the risk of quality damage during the car shipment process and compressing the customs clearance time. With the continuous optimization of customs clearance services, innovative regulatory models, and a series of policy dividends, the car export agency business has achieved leapfrog growth, "said Chen Xue.
In the dedicated container yard for automobiles at CITIC Port, the site manager Zhang Jiandong is directing workers to pack a batch of new energy vehicles. According to Zhang Jiandong, this batch of more than 50 new energy vehicles will be loaded onto ships and transported to the Middle East after completing customs supervision and inspection.
By 2025, we will have served a total of over 76000 vehicle exports, with over 46000 vehicles shipped through container loading, a year-on-year increase of 142% compared to 2024, "said Zhang Peng, Deputy General Manager of CITIC Port International Logistics Co., Ltd.
Ningbo Customs continues to optimize its services, implementing measures such as "direct loading upon arrival" and "7 × 24 hour" overtime reservation mechanism to improve the efficiency of automobile clearance. In response to the problem that a single transportation method cannot meet the demand for a large number of vehicles to be shipped in a single batch, Ningbo Customs supports the simultaneous shipment of the same batch of vehicles for export using three methods: roll on/roll off ships, container ships, and framed container ships. At the same time, the deepening application of smart logistics systems also empowers the acceleration of exports, and the comprehensive implementation of paperless ship document declaration helps Meishan Port attract roll on/roll off companies such as UGR, Jisu Logistics, and BYD under Abu Dhabi Port Group to dock at the Messi roll on/roll off terminal, further expanding the coverage of roll on/roll off routes and forming a virtuous cycle of "route growth export growth".
Automobiles are an important export commodity at Ningbo Port, and Ningbo Customs has always closely monitored the development trend of the industry. In 2026, Ningbo Customs will continue to work hard to optimize the business environment, continuously improve the "Customs+Enterprise" contact and cooperation mechanism, guide enterprises to make full use of various preferential and convenient policies, optimize export logistics solutions, and support the steady expansion of automobile overseas business.