Ningbo's foreign trade reaches 1.46t yuan in 2025

The Chuanshan Port Area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. [Photo bu Wu Mengkai/Tide News]

Ningbo's foreign trade continued its upward trajectory in 2025, reaching 1.46 trillion yuan ($209.65 billion) and marking 10 consecutive years of expansion.

Data from Ningbo Customs show a 2.6 percent year-on-year increase, with exports rising 3.7 percent to 980.75 billion yuan and imports edging up 0.2 percent to 475.4 billion yuan. December alone contributed 133.38 billion yuan, up 4 percent.

In 2025, a total of 31,500 enterprises reported import and export activity. Private firms remained the main engine of growth, accounting for 77.9 percent of total trade. Foreign-invested and State-owned enterprises recorded 232.1 billion yuan and 89.27 billion yuan in foreign trade, respectively.

Market diversification continued to expand Ningbo's global reach. The European Union and ASEAN remained its top trading partners, with trade reaching 251.08 billion yuan and 216.22 billion yuan. Trade with Africa surged 20.4 percent, while trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative grew 8.8 percent to 741.25 billion yuan.

Ningbo's export structure further advanced toward high-value products. Electromechanical goods rose 5.7 percent, while "new trio" products – electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics – expanded a combined 76.3 percent.

On the import side, strong demand for raw materials and high-tech goods drove notable increases in copper, rubber, glass products, and advanced technologies.