Ningbo has experienced a significant uptick in cross-border e-commerce retail imports from Central and Eastern Europe in the first quarter of this year, underscoring the strong enthusiasm among domestic consumers for goods from this region.

Data from the local cross-border shopping platform in Ningbo shows that the customs authority has overseen imported goods worth 76 million yuan ($10.49 million) from Central and Eastern Europe, a nearly 30 percent year-on-year increase and surpassing the growth rate from the same period in 2023 by 10 percentage points.

"A growing array of high-quality items from Central and Eastern Europe are finding their way into our shopping carts," said Chen Yi, general manager of Ningbo Dijia Vida Trading Co. Ltd. "Recently, we secured the exclusive distribution rights in China for a Romanian lollipop brand and have also established a partnership with Royal Bee, the largest honey factory in Bulgaria, with a shipment of honey scheduled to arrive in Ningbo by the end of May."

As a seasoned buyer of Central and Eastern European goods, Chen consistently extols Ningbo's favorable business environment. "The high efficiency of customs clearance for Central and Eastern European goods at Ningbo Port, coupled with the maturity of cross-border e-commerce import operations, has brought significant convenience to businesses," she emphasized.