From January to November 2021, Shandong Port will add 33 new container routes, including 14 routes from countries and regions along the “Belt and Road”.

On December 3, 2021, there is a busy scene at the front of the fully automated terminal of Shandong Port Qingdao Port, which is located in the Qingdao Area of ​​Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Photo by Zhang Jingang

　　In the E-commerce Experience Center of the China-Japan-Korea Consumer Zone in the Qingdao Area of ​​the Shandong Free Trade Zone, many consumers are savoring and experiencing Brazilian food.

Photo by Yuan Ni

　　257.75 billion yuan - Recently, Qingdao West Coast New Area announced the total import and export volume of the first 10 months of 2021, an increase of 48.0% year-on-year, and the growth rate was 26, 12 and 11.3 percentage points higher than that of the country, the province and the city respectively.

Among them, imports were 158.34 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 58.3%.

Risks and challenges continue, and foreign trade achievements are still outstanding. This is due to the courage and determination of Qingdao West Coast New Area to actively expand and open up.

　　Since it was approved as the first batch of national import trade promotion innovation demonstration zones in November 2020, Qingdao West Coast New Area has taken the demonstration zone as the starting point, and has linked the foreign trade industry and enterprises to actively overcome many obstacles such as the spread of the global epidemic, rising raw materials, and soaring shipping costs. The leap-forward growth of foreign trade shows the strong impetus of a strong foreign trade area.

Full service guarantee

　　On the morning of December 24, 2021, along with flying snowflakes, the reporter saw the lively scene of bridge cranes flying and ships coming and going in Qianwan Port Area of ​​Qingdao Port, Shandong Port.

Here, after the imported crude oil arrives at the port, there is no need to wait for the test results of the customs laboratory, and it only takes half a day for unloading and transshipment.

　　Qingdao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal Co., Ltd. is one of the direct beneficiaries of the "first release and then inspection" model.

It is understood that the release cycle has been reduced from 2 to 3 days to half a day, which greatly saves ship demurrage fees and tank rental fees, and the company's average cost per ton of crude oil is reduced by 4 yuan.

　　This is just a microcosm of the innovative initiatives of Qingdao West Coast New Area.

In 2021, under the impact of the epidemic, freight rates in the international shipping market will continue to skyrocket, and many foreign trade companies have once fallen into the dilemma of "hard to find one cabin".

To solve the problem of rising freight rates and dredging land and sea logistics channels, the new area has launched a "combination punch" such as adding new routes, opening overtime ships, and sea-rail combined transportation.

"On average, two routes are added every month, and 40 or 50 foreign trade overtime ships are added. We are also actively seeking charter shippers to open routes to Qingdao Port to bring goods from Shandong out." Shandong Port Qingdao Port Qianwan Containers Zhang Jun, deputy general manager of the terminal company, introduced.

At the same time, Qingdao West Coast New Area continues to provide comprehensive services to protect foreign trade enterprises, so as to relieve the worries of enterprise development.

　　Qingdao East Asia Tire Co., Ltd. mainly produces automobile inner tubes, 98% of its sales are export trade, and its products are exported to many countries and regions.

Affected by the epidemic, the supply, production and sales chain and capital turnover of enterprises have encountered unprecedented tests.

　　"When we were in the most difficult time, the Huangdao District Taxation Bureau took the initiative to send a package of preferential tax policies to guide us to reduce taxes and fees, stabilize supply and production. It usually only takes two days for the tax refund to arrive in the account, which greatly saves costs." Jin Zhongxun, general manager of the company's sales, introduced that with the support of various favorable policies, the company's export sales have gradually risen to 1.5-1.7 million US dollars per month, and the production line is full. load operation.

　　"The active construction of an import trade promotion innovation demonstration zone has effectively promoted the high-level development of foreign trade. Relevant data analysis shows that the total import and export scale of the new area is expected to exceed the 300 billion yuan mark in 2021." The person in charge of the Foreign Trade Section of the Commerce Bureau of Qingdao West Coast New Area Li Lina said.

Vigorously develop cross-border e-commerce

　　As the country's first batch of import trade promotion innovation demonstration zones, Qingdao West Coast New Area highlights its unique advantages and vigorously develops cross-border e-commerce business, creating a new situation for the innovation and development of import trade, and has become an important pole to drive rapid trade growth.

　　On the New Year's Day this year, the reporter came to the Qingdao Central Warehouse of Vipshop in Qingdao West Coast New Area Bonded Logistics Center. The warehouses were filled with goods from Japan, South Korea and other countries, and the staff were nervously sorting them. These couriers will be dispatched to in the hands of consumers across the country.

"After the project opened in the new area in July 2021, its business has grown rapidly and has become an important hub for Vipshop's 'buying and selling globally'. The location advantage of being adjacent to Japan and South Korea, coupled with the bonded stocking policy, has made Qingdao West Coast New Area an Our best choice." Wang Hongjiang, head of the Qingdao central warehouse of Vipshop, told reporters.

　　Not far from the central warehouse of Vipshop Qingdao, the E-commerce Experience Center in the China-Japan-Korea Consumer Zone has ushered in another small peak of hot sales.

The characteristics of "cross-border e-commerce + new retail" and the operation model of "front store and back warehouse" have attracted consumers from all over the world to enjoy the policy bonus of tariff-free within the limit.

It is understood that since the opening of the China-Japan-Korea Consumer Zone E-commerce Experience Center, the cumulative transaction volume has exceeded 20 million yuan and more than 30,000 registered members.

　　Taking advantage of the national import trade promotion innovation demonstration area, Qingdao West Coast New Area has also actively accelerated the construction of a collaborative and open network for the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. By promoting customs clearance procedures and trade facilitation, optimizing and upgrading the "maritime highway" between China, Japan and South Korea, forming a major opening-up channel connecting Japan and South Korea and radiating Europe and Asia, and playing the role of a "bridgehead" gateway for the opening and development of the Yellow River Basin.

　　"With the help of the platform of the '9+2' cross-border e-commerce industry cooperation and exchange mechanism in the Yellow River Basin, the resources of international customers in coastal areas will be gathered and connected with the vast market in inland areas, which will rapidly expand the scale of cross-border trade and form huge consumption growth. potential." Jiang Nan, president of Qingdao West Coast New Area Bonded Logistics Center Co., Ltd., is full of confidence.

Seize the new opportunities of RCEP

　　Since the approval of the Import Trade Promotion Innovation Demonstration Zone, Qingdao West Coast New Area has continued to promote the reform and opening up of the service industry, and has gradually built a public service platform for Qingdao service trade (transaction), Qingdao West Coast New Area Service Trade Association, service trade think tanks and other import trade features. Through the support of effective platform carriers, the coordinated development of service trade enterprises in Qingdao and the new area will be promoted.

On January 1, 2022, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) came into effect, and Qingdao West Coast New Area seized the opportunity of RCEP and continuously created new advantages.

　　"Judging from the orders received so far, in January, the orders of RCEP member countries increased by 120% year-on-year and 30% month-on-month." With the calculation of the total orders in January, another "new high" for Double Star was born. Deng Ling, head of the Overseas Development Headquarters, couldn't hide her joy in an interview.

The "super bonus" appeared quickly, and Double Star was the first to taste the sweetness, which was inseparable from the precise guidance of the government.

Xu Xiangsen, deputy director of the Commerce Bureau of Qingdao West Coast New Area, introduced that the 10 ASEAN countries and Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand are all important partners of the new area. After a year of data analysis on the import and export of RCEP member countries, special training sessions have been held for many times to guide enterprises to target Seize the opportunity, make preparations for the implementation of the agreement, and improve the international competitiveness of enterprises.

　　"As early as the first half of 2021, the company started to study the cumulative rules of origin of the terms of the RCEP agreement and policy dividends such as service trade and investment lists." Su Ming, general manager of Double Star Tire Industry, introduced, "The company and RCEP countries jointly develop new products, For example, a fire-resistant tire was designed for Malaysia and Cambodia, which sold very well.”

　　With the help of RCEP, the foreign trade development of Qingdao West Coast New Area is moving towards a higher level.

"In 2022, Qingdao West Coast New Area will continue to promote the implementation of policies to stabilize foreign trade, actively expand the demonstration and driving role of the national import trade promotion innovation demonstration zone, give full play to the role of new cross-border e-commerce formats and new models in driving foreign trade, and further promote the transformation of foreign trade. Upgrade and high-quality development of trade." said Pang Jianhui, director of the Commerce Bureau of Qingdao West Coast New Area.

(Economic Daily reporter Liu Cheng)