Two customs officials check the imported vehicles at the Ningbo Meishan Free Trade Port Area. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

Ningbo Meishan Free Trade Port Area saw a robust growth in the volume of its vehicle imports in 2018. 

Altogether 10,388 vehicles worth 3.33 billion yuan ($490 million) were imported to China via this area in the year, up 68.5 percent and 37 percent, respectively. 

The growth can be attributed to a series of measures released by the government last year to encourage vehicle imports, such as the cancelation of the time limit for imported vehicles to be stored in a bonded warehouse, and the reduction of tariffs for imported vehicles and auto parts. 

Ningbo Customs also took corresponding measures to drive vehicle imports, including establishing exclusive channels and facilitating the procedures for customs clearance. 

"The area is now one of the major domestic locations for vehicle imports. From drawing upon others' experiences to developing our own ways for vehicle import management, we have achieved an annual growth of nearly 60 percent over the past five years," said Yan Kaizhou, an official of Meishan Customs.