Ningbo on Wheels "Going Global

Reporter Sun Jiali, Correspondent Yong Port
　　
Narrator: Xu Haonan, Deputy General Manager of Zhejiang Zhongda Yuantong International Trade Co., Ltd
In December, our entire company went all out to strive for the annual goal of exporting over 20000 cars. Near the dock of Meishan Port Area in Zhoushan Port, Ningbo, nearly 2000 brand new cars are neatly arranged, waiting for their "sea going" journey.
The booming business of automobile exports truly took root and sprouted in Ningbo during the five-year period of the 14th Five Year Plan.
Initially, we focused on parallel imported car business and gradually accumulated a solid resource network through long-term cooperation with domestic and foreign car manufacturers and dealers, keenly capturing a market signal - although the export qualification for second-hand cars has been opened before 2021, the average annual export volume of a single enterprise in the industry has always been within 10000 vehicles. This is a new track with great potential.
In 2021, we were selected as one of the first second-hand car export enterprises in Ningbo city to receive approval from the Ministry of Commerce. We have shifted from "buying globally" to "selling globally" and achieved a transformation from "in" to "out". The following year, we exported nearly 10000 second-hand cars and won the first place in the country in one fell swoop. In 2023, we will reach a new peak and export nearly 20000 second-hand cars throughout the year.
The prosperous days did not last long. After the trend emerged, new enterprises rushed in, with highly similar business models and concentrated demand in a few channels. Customer resources overlapped severely, and the market quickly fell into the quagmire of homogeneous competition.
Transformation has become an urgent and inevitable choice. After multiple reviews, we have made up our mind to integrate manufacturer resources and enter the field of authorized new car exports.
In November 2023, we signed a contract with Chongqing Changan Automobile International Sales Service Co., Ltd. to jointly promote the "Made in China" advantageous models to the global market. The first batch of 800 Changan cars set sail from Meishan Port Area in Zhoushan Port, Ningbo, and sailed across the sea to Mexico, about 12000 kilometers away. Last year, we exported a total of 14000 cars, maintaining our leading position in the industry.
In the first 10 months of this year, our automobile export volume reached 18000 units, with the Middle East and Central Asia becoming core destinations. Among them, the export proportion of new energy vehicles exceeds 20%, and green "going global" has become a new highlight.
This year, we also rely on the location advantage of Khorgos Port to build an automobile export supply chain integration service center, build a new hub for automobile "going to sea" facing Central Asia and radiating Europe, and create a new model in the field of automobile global trade business layout.
Looking ahead to the 15th Five Year Plan, we are full of confidence: striving towards the goal of exporting over 50000 vehicles annually, the proportion of new energy vehicles will further increase.
More news
During the 14th Five Year Plan period, Ningbo's automobile exports achieved a leapfrog development from "stumbling to start" to "accelerating to lead", becoming a new engine for the stable growth of the city's foreign trade.
The automobile export industry is new, with a long chain and multiple links. Focusing on how to make the "going global" of enterprises smoother, since 2022, the Municipal Port Office, together with customs, maritime, border inspection, ports and other departments, has relied on the "big port, strong core" working mechanism to visit and meet the needs of enterprises, accurately docking their complaints, clearing difficult and blocked points, and pressing the "acceleration button" for automobile exports.
According to statistics from Ningbo Customs, the export volume of automobiles at Ningbo Port reached 32.54 billion yuan in the first 10 months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 59.8%. Among them, the export value of new energy vehicles accounts for over 68%, becoming the core driving force for export growth. This means that the annual export volume of automobiles at Ningbo Port is expected to hit the 35 billion yuan mark.