The re - export trade of ceramics is the most legitimate smuggling in the 21st century

When Mr. Zhang first sent ceramic coffee cups printed with Dutch tulips to Mexico, he didn't expect that this batch of goods departing from Lianyungang would "take a detour" at a European port. This is not a logistics mistake, but a business with an annual transaction volume exceeding 2 billion yuan - the re - export trade of household ceramics, quietly growing at this eastern port.

At the container terminal of Lianyungang, more than 300 TEUs of ceramic products are transferred here every day. Different from direct exports, the goods in re - export trade often carry "dual labels": the Chinese labels at the factory are replaced with the languages of the target markets in overseas transit warehouses. "Ms. Li's team has to handle 50,000 such 'transformed ceramics' every week," revealed a freight forwarder practitioner. "Customers in Dubai require the underglaze color to be replaced with gilded edges, and the style can be changed within 48 hours."

• Cost leverage: Evade 12% - 25% of tariff barriers by transiting through Southeast Asia
• Logistics puzzle: Repackage at European ports to reduce 30% of transportation losses
• Cultural adaptation: The Middle - East market prefers 24K gold - traced shapes

A set of customs data reveals the industry's secrets: in 2023, 32% of the ceramic products re - exported through Lianyungang eventually flowed to countries that have not signed free - trade agreements with China. A wholesaler confessed: "For the same set of bone china tableware, a 43% anti - dumping duty has to be paid for direct export to Brazil, but the tax rate drops to 9% after transiting through Malaysia." This "round - about way to go global" model makes the selling price of mid - low - end ceramic products in overseas supermarkets 15% cheaper than that in China.

Professional buyers are building a new evaluation system: The acid - and - alkali resistance of the glaze surface determines whether the products can enter European and American supermarkets, the lead and cadmium dissolution index affects the customs clearance efficiency in the Middle East, and the weight of the shape is directly related to the re - export transportation cost. Data from a testing center in Lianyungang shows that the quality inspection standards for ceramic products in re - export trade are on average 2.3 grades higher than domestic standards.

In a workshop in the Lianyungang Free Trade Zone, robots are spraying a color - changing temperature - sensitive coating on ceramic mugs. "This material shows the pattern of the Northern Lights in northern Europe below 25°C and turns into tropical palm trees when it exceeds 30°C," explained the technical director. Functional ceramics are becoming the new favorite of the re - export trade. At the same time, the digital shelf system can automatically switch the transit route according to the real - time exchange rate, compressing the logistics response speed to 72 hours.

• The average value of re - exported ceramics has increased by 170% in 3 years
• Intelligent kilns have shortened the customized production cycle from 45 days to 7 days
• The blockchain traceability system has reduced the trade dispute rate by 32%

When you see enamel - colored tableware marked "Made in Portugal" at the Istanbul Bazaar, perhaps its glaze comes from Jingdezhen. This "global hybrid" model is reshaping the ceramic trade landscape. Practitioners in Lianyungang need to think: when the re - export dividends gradually become transparent, should they continue to be "invisible middlemen" or take the opportunity to build their own international brands?

Welcome to share your observations in the comment section: Do you think the re - export trade is a springboard or a hotbed for traditional manufacturing industries?