Customs officials inspect commodities to be displayed at the third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

The first batch of commodities that will be exhibited at the third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair arrived in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 7. 

With a combined weight of 150.2 kilograms, the goods consisted primarily of cosmetics and skin care products from Bulgaria.

This year, the expo will see a significant uptick in both the number and variety of exhibits, according to Yuan Shenmiao, an employee at Ningbo International Logistics Development Co Ltd, which is responsible for getting the exhibits to the venue.

In addition to cosmetics, new products, including porcelain from Hungary, health products from Poland, and wine from Bosnia and Herzegovina will be featured at the expo. The total value of imported goods has increased five-fold compared to last year, Yuan added.

To speed up the arrival of exhibits, the organizers have taken steps like shortening their registration time and setting up a makeshift customs inspection zone at the host venue – the Ningbo International Convention Center.

Ningbo's ties with CEEC have been improving in recent years.

In 2022, Ningbo's imports from CEEC amounted to 11.15 billion yuan ($1.62 billion), more than 9 times the value in 2016. In the first two months of this year, the city imported 2.69-billion-yuan-worth of goods from CEEC, up 84.9 percent year-on-year, official data from Ningbo Customs show.

The city is currently focused on turning itself into the main gateway for CEEC commodities entering China. The third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair will be held in the city from May 16 to 20.