As the main carrier of cargo transportation, containers are widely used in international trade. During a recent visit to Ningbo, Zhejiang, reporters found that since June, local container manufacturing companies have suddenly become busy, and exports have experienced a strong rebound.

If conventional containers are the "barometer" of international trade, then more technologically advanced refrigerated containers are the "thermometer" of global cold chain logistics. Since the beginning of this year, China's refrigerated container exports have also shown impressive performance.

At present, more than 95% of the world's refrigerated containers are produced in China. In the first half of this year, China's refrigerated container exports reached 10.59 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.6%.

Orders increase significantly, production doubles

Container factory operating at full capacity

The person in charge of a container factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang told reporters that 99% of the containers they produce are used for export. After entering June, orders suddenly increased significantly. At present, workers have switched from single shift production to two shift production, with a daily output of 500 to 550 units, doubling from before May. The company's production schedule has reached November.

The reporter learned that currently container production lines in Ningbo are generally operating at full capacity.

Export (new) container recovery

New container orders and exports both increase

Liang Linrong, Deputy Director of the Statistical Analysis Department of Beilun Customs under Ningbo Customs, introduced that in June, the export (new) containers at Ningbo Port experienced a rebound, with a total of 64000 exported, a year-on-year increase of 28.9%.

Industry insiders told reporters that both new container orders and exports have increased.

On the one hand, due to the sustained prosperity of China's goods trade in the first half of the year, the demand for containers remained high;

On the other hand, geopolitical factors have significantly prolonged the global logistics turnover cycle, and the amount of empty containers returning is insufficient to support capacity supply. To maintain capacity, new containers must be replenished.

Domestic 'Big Refrigerator'

Assist the global cold chain in locking freshness for thousands of miles

Since the beginning of this year, China's refrigerated container exports have also shown impressive performance. The reporter learned that in the first half of the year, Foshan Customs in Guangdong Province supervised the export of about 2340 tons of fruits, a year-on-year increase of 7.4%. 130000 tons of fresh durian were imported through the China Laos Railway, up 39.9% year on year.

How to preserve fruits during long journeys?

The answer is in this oversized 'refrigerator'. The cold air outlet of the fruit transport box is hidden at the bottom of the box, and the cold air is sent along the T-shaped floor to the entire cargo hold. At the same time, sensors are equipped inside the box to monitor the environmental temperature and humidity in real time.

Not only fruits, but also fresh products such as meat and seafood, as well as medical products such as vaccines and high-end equipment, will be transported using refrigerated containers.

Over 95% of global refrigerated containers are produced in China

In Qingdao, Shandong, the person in charge of a container production enterprise told reporters that they not only produce standard refrigerated containers of 20 feet and 40 feet, but also produce special refrigerated containers according to the requirements of different countries and transportation vehicles, such as railway containers used in China Europe freight trains and air freight containers. At present, more than 170 different specifications and sizes of refrigerated containers have been developed, and export demand continues to grow.

The head of the enterprise told reporters that currently, one out of every three refrigerated containers worldwide is produced here. Faced with steadily increasing demand, the production line continues to promote technological transformation and improve automation levels. Foaming is one of the core technologies in the manufacturing of refrigerated containers, which directly determines the insulation performance of the container. In the past, quality inspection relied heavily on manual tapping and listening to sounds with the ears to determine foam quality, relying entirely on the experience of workers. Starting this year, companies have introduced acoustic detection model equipment with higher accuracy.

The continuous improvement of production technology and the growing demand for cold chain transportation in international trade have significantly increased the export of refrigerated containers.

The reporter learned that the export of refrigerated containers in Shandong exceeded 5 billion yuan in the first half of the year, accounting for 54.1% of the total export value of refrigerated containers in the country. At present, more than 95% of the world's refrigerated containers are produced in China. In the first half of this year, China's refrigerated container exports reached 10.59 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.6%.