At about 6 o'clock in the morning, on the ro-ro berth of Pier 8, the on-site dispatcher of Qingdao Dejiatong Automobile directed the operations in an orderly manner and guided carefully prepared used cars to the cabin. They carried the confidence of China's intelligent manufacturing and carried the determination of the northern district of Qingdao City to break through foreign trade and sail to the vast markets of the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. Against the background of the in-depth adjustment of the global trade pattern and the continuous deepening of my country's opening up to the outside world, used car exports have been upgraded from simple "old car exports" to an important engine that drives foreign trade growth, activates industrial vitality, and serves the new development pattern.

As an important coastal open city in northern my country, Qingdao has continued to optimize its foreign trade structure and cultivate new growth points for foreign trade in recent years. And the second-hand car export industry in Shibei District is exactly the highlight of this report card.

1. Success: Two trump cards build a solid foundation for used cars to "go out to sea"

The rise of any industry is inseparable from the two-way support of innate endowment and acquired deep cultivation. The used car export industry in Shibei District has been on the right track of "Hong Kong-industry linkage" from the beginning.

"When we do industrial development, we don't engage in 'castles in the air', but focus on our own advantages and make a fuss." The relevant person in charge of the Commerce Bureau of Shibei District of Qingdao City said,"The core confidence of Shibei is first the mature used car industry foundation accumulated over the years, and second, the port logistics advantages of Dagang. The combination of the two has paved a solid way for used cars to go out to sea."

Industrial accumulation is the "internal strength" for used cars to go abroad, and it is also the basis for confidence. In order to allow relevant enterprises in the industrial chain to take root in Shibei District with peace of mind and strengthen the chain, Shibei District has regarded "optimizing the business environment" as the "No. 1 Reform Project" and launched 251 and 445 reform measures. The approval for admission and operation of business entities has been accelerated by more than 80%. The normalized government-enterprise dialogue mechanism has become more considerate. Every two months, focusing on one theme, and making decisions on enterprises that can solve problems will be made on the spot. Long-term problems will be clarified "responsibility fields" and "timetables". Use "companionship" services to help companies unload their burdens.

After years of deep cultivation, Shibei District has formed a mature industrial ecology and has become the core cluster of used car trading in Qingdao. As of 2025, Qingdao has registered 89 used car trading markets, of which 12 are in Shibei District; among the more than 50 used car companies with export performance in the city, Shibei District accounts for 7; currently, Shibei District is actively applying for provincial used car export clusters and making every effort to build a regional core base for used car export.

Port logistics is an "external skill" for used cars to go to sea and a key support for opening up channels to sea. Shandong Port Qingdao Port Dagang Wharf is the core support for the export of used cars in the north of the city. With its unique location advantages and efficient and convenient operation capabilities, it has become a "golden terminal" for used cars to go out to sea. The reporter saw at Dagang Wharf that the 9-to 13.7-meter deep-water channel can easily accommodate 4 large ro-ro ships operating at the same time, and can enjoy priority berthing and unberthing treatment without long waiting; the 200,000-square-meter commercial vehicle dedicated storage yard can accommodate more than 6000 vehicles at the same time;8 special railway lines with a car loading and unloading platform achieve "direct unloading at the port", and the loading and unloading volume of 2 trains can be completed in one day.

What is more worth mentioning is that Dagang Wharf is seamlessly connected with Huanwan Road, Qingdao Second Cross-Harbour Tunnel and multiple high-speed highways, forming an efficient and convenient highway, rail and sea intermodal transportation network, which greatly reduces the logistics cost of used cars and allows Shibei Used cars have stronger price competitiveness in the international market.

2. Leading the way: Clusters work hard to set off a craze of "going out to sea"

The export of used cars in Shibei has never been a "one-man show" for a company, but a "chorus" of cluster efforts and coordinated development. In the used car export map of Shibei District, Shangang Shanhai Automobile Rental, a subsidiary of Shandong Port Group, gives full play to the advantages of Shandong Port's comprehensive service system. In 2024, it will export more than 500 used cars, with an export value exceeding US$10 million. Qingdao Huachang Automobile integrates the resources of GAC Chuanqi and other car companies, focuses on the Southeast Asian market, exporting more than 200 used cars throughout the year, with an export value exceeding US$4 million; There are also a large number of small and medium-sized used car companies such as Qingdao Dejiatong Automobile Sales and Service Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Jiangshan Automobile Sales and Service Co., Ltd., relying on the advantages of industrial clusters and focusing on market segmentation, forming a "leading role, small and medium-sized collaboration, and complementary advantages" development pattern. So far, there are 12 enterprises with second-hand car export qualifications in Shibei District, and the industrial agglomeration effect continues to be prominent.

"Such achievements cannot be achieved without the nourishment of the fertile soil in the north of the city and the strong support of the government departments." The relevant person in charge of Dejiatong lamented,"From expanding overseas warehouses to optimizing logistics solutions, from seeking export qualifications to connecting financial resources, the staff of the Shibei District Commerce Bureau always take the initiative to connect with each other, helping us solve one problem after another. Policy support is precise and government services are efficient and convenient. This market-oriented, legal and international environment is our greatest confidence in daring to explore overseas markets."

Policy support is the "booster" for enterprises to "go out to sea". Shibei District does not engage in "flood irrigation"-style subsidies, but rather accurately matches the pain points and difficulties of enterprises. "The capital, venue, and talent problems encountered in the development of the company are all key problems we need to solve." The relevant person in charge of the Commerce Bureau of Shibei District said frankly that Shibei not only launched a "one floor, one policy" to provide enterprises with customized industrial space, but also built a bank-enterprise docking platform. In 2024, it won 50 million yuan in credit for enterprises in the cluster, and plans to increase the credit line to 80 million yuan in the future. In addition, enterprises can receive a premium subsidy of up to 50% if they apply for export credit insurance, special subsidies are provided for vehicle testing, maintenance and preparation, and corresponding subsidies can also be received for building overseas warehouses and exporting through China-Europe freight trains.

In addition to laying out new overseas businesses, Shibei District also plans to build six service centers to further improve the full-chain service system: use the used car association as a link to create an enterprise cluster service center, gather small and medium-sized car dealers, and form a synergy in the industrial chain; With the Hangzhou Branch Road plot as the core, build a warehousing and logistics service center to improve the efficiency of land-sea combined transportation; unite Dagang Customs, Qingdao Port and other forces to create a comprehensive export service center to provide one-stop solutions; Build a vehicle maintenance service center to improve vehicle quality; introduce financial and insurance institutions to build a financial and insurance service center to solve corporate funding problems; build a domestic and foreign trade exhibition center, hold international trade fairs and online auctions to enhance the brand influence of used cars in Shibei. At the same time, build a cluster-level big data platform for used car exports to make industrial development smarter and more efficient.

3. Jump: Full chain escort makes it possible to "run faster" to go out to sea

A second-hand car travels from the north of the city to the world. It seems like a simple "departure", but behind it is a complete set of complex processes: testing, preparation, customs declaration, and logistics. Every link cannot be sloppy. Shibei District deeply realized that in order for used cars to go out to sea steadily and far, we must not only build a solid foundation for the linkage between Hong Kong and industry, but also provide full-chain services to solve the pain points and difficulties in enterprise development. To this end, Shibei District adheres to a problem-oriented approach and makes precise efforts to provide "full-cycle, all-round, and full-chain" escort for enterprises to go out to sea, allowing enterprises to travel easily and accelerate their progress.

For exporting companies, the biggest headaches are cumbersome processes and uncertain costs. In the north of the city, these problems were solved one by one.

If a used car wants to go to sea, it must first pass a "physical examination"-Shibei District has introduced a third-party testing agency with CMA and CNAS qualifications to provide authoritative testing services for every exported used car. You can get a detailed quality report for only 160 yuan, and each car has a unique "electronic file" that can be traced back from testing, preparation to cancellation. In 2024, the export inspection coverage rate of used cars in Shibei District will reach 100%. With its reliable quality, Shibei used cars have won a good reputation in overseas markets.

After passing the test, the vehicle enters the servicing stage. "Relying on the stable cooperation of many local parts suppliers, the servicing cost of used cars in Shibei is 15% lower than the industry average." A staff member of the Shibei District Commerce Bureau said that standardized and large-scale servicing services not only improve vehicle quality, but also reduce corporate costs.

The upgrade of warehousing and logistics has further accelerated the efficiency of "going out to sea". The Hangzhou branch road storage land being planned is only 2 kilometers away from the terminal and is close to the railway and elevated roads. It can accommodate 13,000 used vehicles in the future. The advantages of land-sea combined transportation will reduce logistics costs again and again.

In the next step, Shibei District will focus on building a used car export base, continue to deepen the linkage between Hong Kong and industry, and support enterprises to expand overseas networks. It plans to add two overseas warehouses and one overseas maintenance center in Kazakhstan and Russia in 2026 to further improve the overseas service system. At the same time, we will closely follow the development trend of new energy vehicles, lay out the export business of new energy used vehicles, establish a carbon footprint traceability system, strive to achieve that the proportion of new energy vehicle exports exceeds 20% by 2026, and promote the transformation of the industry towards green and high-end.

Source: RongMedia Center in Shibei District

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