Ningbo e-commerce sees strong mid-year growth

Customs officers in Ningbo carry out on-site supervision at a cross-border e-commerce bonded warehouse. [Photo/Tide News]

Ningbo recorded strong growth in cross-border e-commerce during China's mid-year online shopping season, handling more than 12.8 million import orders worth over 4.6 billion yuan ($678 million) between May 16 and June 20, according to official platform data.

The period coincides with China's major mid-year e-commerce promotion, a nationwide online sales peak often compared to Black Friday, when cross-border retail volumes typically surge across major import hubs.

During this period, goods processed through Ningbo covered 744 tariff categories from 106 countries and regions, underscoring the city's expanding role in global consumer trade flows. The United States, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia ranked among the top source markets by order volume, while products from South Korea and New Zealand recorded particularly strong growth, both increasing by more than 20 percent year-on-year.

Health supplements, skincare products, and non-alcoholic beverages remained the top-selling categories, reflecting sustained demand for wellness-oriented consumption. Non-alcoholic drinks saw the fastest growth, rising 28.6 percent as seasonal demand increased, while sports and casual footwear saw a surge of over 55 percent.

Behind the figures, bonded warehouses in Ningbo operated at near full capacity, supported by automated sorting systems and high-throughput logistics processing to handle peak-season volumes.

Customs authorities deployed a smart customs system featuring digital declaration, real-time monitoring, and automated clearance for low-risk parcels, enabling rapid processing while maintaining regulatory oversight during the peak shopping period.