Ningbo emerging as national cold chain logistics hub

An automobile workshop in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

A consignment of approximately 500 kilograms of Vietnamese blue crabs was recently transported from Vietnam to Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province, before being distributed across the country.

According to Ying Xinhua, general manager of Ningbo Xianggang Shipping Service Co Ltd, the crabs imported via the newly established channel during the past month have received acclaim nationwide.

In recent years, a diverse array of premium fresh food items, such as Norwegian salmon, Brazilian beef, Vietnamese blue crabs, Malaysian durians, Chilean cherries, and New Zealand kiwifruits, have been delivered directly to Chinese households through a cold chain logistics system.

Ningbo, a national transportation hub, has been striving to develop its cold chain logistics capabilities as it seeks to tap into the continuous upgrading of the domestic consumption market and the rapid expansion of the fresh food industry.

Recently, an inspection site built by the city in its Meishan area for imported meat, fruit, and frozen aquatic products successfully passed inspection and was officially listed among the customs-designated supervision sites. This site currently stands as the largest comprehensive customs-designated supervision site in Zhejiang. Encompassing an area of about 80 mu (5.33 hectares), the venue has the capacity to inspect 150 refrigerated containers daily.

Currently, Ningbo is home to nearly 100 entities engaged in cold chain logistics operations. As of last year, the city has four provincial-level cold chain distribution centers for agricultural products, the most in the province. The centers have achieved full coverage of cold storage and preservation facilities in agricultural towns, with over 50 vegetable delivery logistics enterprises establishing internal cold chain monitoring platforms.

According to a report released by the China Commerce Industry Research Institute, the total value of China's cold chain logistics industry reached 8.9 trillion yuan ($1.25 trillion) in 2023, marking a 400 billion yuan increase from 2022. Analysts expect that by 2024, the total value of China's cold chain logistics will further climb to 9.82 trillion yuan, indicating a promising future for the industry.