Copyright 2024 - Ningbo Life / Ningbo Expat

Video dialogue settles international trade disputes

Recently, local quality watchdog successfully settled a trade dispute through the internet with a US Company over the quality problems of the toys imported from a Ningbo manufacturer. The later agreed to pay the US side 20,000 yuan as compensation.

A few days ago, the Administration Bureau for Industry & Commerce in Fenghua of Ningbo received an e-mail from a US company named Lyco product LLC, complaining the colors of the $34,000 toys it imported from a Fenghua Toy Factory are inconsistent with the original samples. The Administration for Industry & Commerce soon conducted an investigation in the involved toy factory.

According to the investigation, the US company sent representatives a month ago to the Fenghua toy factory and signed a contract worth $ 34,000. The contracted stated that the seller's duties are complete as soon as the goods are delivered to the carrier.

After an in-depth investigation into the toy quality, the two sides had no objection to the quality of the sample after a face-to-face negotiation. The contract failed to make a clear agreement on the product quality, appearance, and color. The US buyer neither sent an inspector nor retained the samples for later identification.

Eventually, both sides accept the ruling of the local safety watchdog. The toy manufacturer agreed to compensate 20,000 yuan to the US company.

Brazil increases import tariffs, affecting Ningbo

Brazil has decided to increase the import tariffs it imposes on hundreds of products, the Foreign Trade Commission of Brazil said on September 6. The change is meant to encourage Brazilian companies to make similar products amid the current global economic troubles. The new measure might affect Ningbo's exportation to Brazil.

According to the new measures, the import taxes Brazil imposes on tiles will increase from 15 percent to 35 percent, on bicycles from 20 percent to 35 percent, on air conditioners from 18 percent to 35 percent, and on bicycles and car tires 16 percent to 25 percent.

The substantial increase of tariffs was a surprise to most industry insiders. An even larger tariff hike is on mineral oil, which increases from 4 percent to 25percent.

Inspection and quarantine experts pointed out that major target of Brazil's tariff hike is China. The new measures will also have a direct impact on other Chinese-made products including automobiles, tires, glass, pharmaceutical, mechanical and electrical products, and footwear. China may be the biggest victim of Brazil's protectionism.

In addition, Brazil will also implement anti-dumping sanctions on carbon steel pipe imported from China.

Brazil's move is affecting many exporters in Ningbo, who have seen rising exporting volume to Brazil in recent years.

Statistics from Ningbo Inspection and Quarantine Bureau show, there are more than 1,000 Ningbo exporters to Brazil, exporting 6,977 batches of products from January to August, worth $ 276 million, an increase of 20.27 percent and 11. 73 percent over the same period last year.

Ningbo mainly exports products like automobiles, bike accessories, lamps, small home appliances, and clothing to Brazil. The exportation of agricultural products, chemical industry, machinery and equipment is relatively small.

An owner of a local exporting company said the heavy tariff increases means a price hike of their products, which inevitably hurts the competitiveness in price.

Inspection and quarantine experts pointed out that the enterprises should make efforts to optimize the structure of foreign trade and increase their reputation when carrying out the "go global" strategy.

Chamber of Ningbo Merchants in Shenzhen to settle in Jiangbei

On September 10, Chamber of Ningbo Merchants in Shenzhen signed an agreement with Jiangbei District on the project of its headquarters building in Jiangbei, a project valuing 1 billion yuan. It is the first large project invested by Ningbo merchants working in cities outside Ningbo since Jiangbei District released in March this year new policies to encourage the investment by Ningbo merchants working in other cities.

Reportedly, The headquarters building of Chamber of Ningbo Merchants in Shenzhen covers an area of 62 mu, with a floorage of about 90,000 square meters. It is to be located on Jiangbei Avenue on the riverside, near Jiangbei Wanda Plaza. It is a commercial project, a complex with functionality of officing, recreation, and entertainment.

Ningbo to import more Taiwan fruits as festivals near

Ningbo will import more fruits from Taiwan in advance of the upcoming National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival. Ningbo Customs said Zhejiang Yiwei Industrial Co., Ltd. has imported 5.6-tonne grapefruit on September 12. Grown in Kaohsiung, the batch of fruit will soon enter the major supermarkets in Ningbo.

As the Chinese pronunciation of grapefruit contains auspicious meaning, and its harvest time coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, grapefruit is a popular fruit during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Taiwan-grown fruit soon found favor in the Ningbo consumers as it first entered Ningbo market last September.

Marine Economy and Investment Fair: a prosperous event

According to the Organizing Committee of the 2nd Marine Economy and Investment Fair, the Expo will be very popular, participated by Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong, Qingdao, delegations from Shangdong, Fujian, Dalian, Shenzhen and over 10,000 visitors home and abroad.

At present, the preparation for the expo is going on smoothly. The Ningbo exhibition area will have sand tables, real objects, models, and videos to display the new achievements of Ningbo in the marine industries, sciences and technologies.

The seafood expo is a highlight of the Marine Economy and Investment Fair. The expo will be take place in three exhibition halls in Ningbo International Conference and Exhibition Center. In exhibition hall 1 and exhibition hall 2 will be for the state, the costal provinces and cities, and exhibition hall 3 will be for the seafood exhibition. Visitors can see various sea foods of the world, processing technologies and equipment, fishing gear, aquatic fodder, sea foods and technologies and so on.

As a fair of sea foods of famous international brands, the 1st (South) China International Seafood Expo will have well-known fishing companies home and abroad and it will have a series of activities like the international purchasing fair and so on.

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