Ningbo's foreign trade tops 960b yuan in Jan-Aug

An operation scene at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. [Photo by Wu Mengkai/cnnb.com.cn]

Ningbo's foreign trade maintained steady growth in the first eight months of 2025, with total imports and exports reaching 969.58 billion yuan ($136.14 billion), up 3.9 percent year-on-year, according to Ningbo Customs. Exports rose 6.6 percent to 659.19 billion yuan, while imports edged down 1.6 percent to 310.39 billion yuan.

Private enterprises remained the backbone of the city's foreign trade during this period, contributing 751.03 billion yuan — 77.5 percent of the total — up 6 percent from a year earlier.

In the first eight months, the city's trade with the European Union rose 6.9 percent to 172.42 billion yuan, ASEAN surged 16.6 percent to 139.62  billion yuan, Japan expanded 7 percent to 40.11 billion yuan, and South Korea jumped 16.2 percent to 34.83 billion yuan. Trade with Africa, Central and Eastern European countries, and Belt and Road countries accounted for 58.31 billion yuan, 41.06 billion yuan, and 489.22 billion yuan, up 23.1 percent, 9.3 percent, and 10.5 percent, respectively.

Electromechanical products remained the city's top export at 383.46 billion yuan, up 8.6 percent. Exports of electric vehicles soared 269.8 percent to 10.65 billion yuan.

For imports, raw materials and high-tech goods drove growth. Unwrought copper imports rose 17.2 percent to 28.9  billion yuan, rubber surged 65.2 percent, and high-tech products climbed 17.2 percent to 27.86 billion yuan. Consumer goods imports reached 28.48 billion yuan, with imports of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks surging 48.2 percent.