Ningbo's winter sports equipment exports to Europe gain steam

A Ningbo Customs official offers guidance to a local ski company. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Despite the cooling weather, the production workshop at Ningbo Liming Metal Products Co Ltd is humming with activity as workers diligently assemble a shipment of ski poles and boots destined for European countries such as France.

"The European ski season, spanning from December to April, is our peak export period," stated Yu Haidong, a company representative, who disclosed that the orders received in the first 10 months of this year are already equal to last year's total, with a projected 10 percent year-on-year increase.

Ningbo Maiyao Apparel Co Ltd is also capitalizing on this export surge. Chen Mingming, the company's manager, anticipates a 10 percent sales boost for men's ski gloves compared to previous years. He emphasized that their commitment to meeting the evolving demands of the European and American markets as well as improving their materials and craftsmanship are the prime reasons behind the upswing, in addition to the onset of the ski season.

In the initial 10 months of this year, the total value of exported ski equipment from Ningbo skyrocketed to 279 million yuan ($38.94 million). Particularly noteworthy was the significant rise in exports observed in the third quarter, with exports from July to October alone reaching 219 million yuan, according to Ningbo Customs.