The Qingdao Bonded Port Area is expected to reach an annual throughput of 180,000 automobiles by 2015.Photo by Sun Zhiwen.

The Qingdao Bonded Port Area is expected to reach an annual throughput of 180,000 automobiles by 2015. Its car import and export volume will account for 30 percent of China's total car import and export volume, according to the plan for Qingdao Bonded Port Area’s Automobile Terminal Phase II released in March.

As of June 8, 2014, over 800 high-end vehicles have been displayed at the sales terminal, including brands such as Maserati and Land Rover.

"We are expecting the automobile terminal to drive up new growth for the area. Eventually it will become a comprehensive trade center with commerce, shopping, hotel, logistics and other related businesses," said Li Suman, deputy director of the administrative committee of Qingdao Bonded Port Area.

She said that the value generated by the automobile yard is 200 times that of the same sized ore yard. At the same time the cost for car buyers have been greatly reduced.

At present, prices at the terminal are generally 10 percent lower than automobile stores in the city due to a slash in logistics costs.

The General Administration of Customs officially launched automobile import and export operations in Qingdao last July. Since then the Qingdao Bonded Port Area has become the only car import harbor in Shandong province.

So far two automobile berths, an 80,000 square meters automobile storage yard and a 11,000 square meters examination yard, as well as infrastructure, such as a managing information system, customs inspection area and video surveillance system, have been put into use.

An international automobile trade center spreading across 1.01 square kilometers will be built in the area, according to the new plan.

"When completed, it will create 20,000 job opportunities in the trade center," said Li.

It also includes three special berths for ro-ro ships and supporting yards. A 30,000 square meter automobile display hall is already under construction.

Edited by Wang Jingjing andMichael Thai