Ningbo's trade with other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) continued to expand in the first quarter of 2026, highlighting the city's growing role as a key Belt and Road hub.

According to Ningbo Customs, total imports and exports with other SCO countries reached 24.18 billion yuan ($3.53 billion), up 2 percent year-on-year. Exports stood out, rising 9.2 percent to 20.5 billion yuan, while imports totaled 3.68 billion yuan.

Resource-rich SCO countries remain important suppliers of copper. In the first quarter, Ningbo imported 980 million yuan worth of unwrought copper and copper products, a surge of 22 percent.

On the export side, demand from SCO markets is also heating up. Zhejiang New Vision Import & Export reported strong growth in PVC exports to India, driven by recent tariff exemptions on petrochemical and industrial materials. Combined with competitive pricing and smoother logistics under SCO cooperation frameworks, the company's exports to India jumped 34.9 percent in the first quarter.

Traditional exports also remain solid. Ningbo exported 720 million yuan worth of plastic products to SCO countries, up 6.8 percent. Ningbo's trade with India, a key SCO partner, reached 8.61 billion yuan, up 8 percent.

Behind this growth is a suite of smart customs initiatives — from AI-assisted inspections to streamlined declarations and self-service certificates of origin — helping reduce costs and boost efficiency, further strengthening Ningbo's trade links with SCO economies.