Jiangsu - Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (Nantong ETDA)

Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (Nantong ETDA)

Facts&Figures (2007)

Source: Administration of Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area

Introduction

Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (Nantong ETDA), approved by the State Council in 1984, is among the first 14 development zones in China. It covers an area of 29.29 km². Its home city – Nantong - was one of China’s first coastal cities opened to foreign investments. Nantong Port, one of China’s top 10 ports, plays an integral role in supporting China’s largest port - Shanghai Port. The cargo throughput in Nantong Port has exceeded 124 million tons.

The zone is 100 km from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, 150 km from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, 240 km from Nanjing Lukou Airport and 12 km from Nantong Airport. The Su-Tong Yangtze Bridge (connecting Suzhou and Nantong), completed in 2008, cuts transportation time to 1 hour. It has links with the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, Yanjiang Expressway, Nanjing-Nantong Expressway and Nantong-Qidong Expressways. The Xinqi-Changxing Railway and Nanjing-Qidong Railway go through the zone.

Investment Climate

The Su-Tong Yangtze Bridge, completed in May 2008, has cut the travel time from Nantong to Shanghai to within one hour. Nantong falls within the 1-hour economic circle of Shanghai. The zone will benefit as well from the economic development, rich talents, good industrial base and strength in R&D of Shanghai. 

Nantong ETDA consists of state-level Nantong Export Processing Zone, China Changjiang Int’l Chemical Fibers Industrial Park, Changjiang Int’l New Chemical Materials Industrial Park, Hi-tech Industrial Area, Nantong Optical-Mechanical-Electronic Industrial Park, No. 1 Port Industrial Area, Electronic Industrial Park and Bonded Logistics Park.

The park has built major industries in fine chemicals, textile fibers, new materials and paper making. In 2007, the GDP of Nantong ETDA grew by 37.2% from a year earlier to RMB 16.3 billion, accounting for 7.7% of that of Nantong. The foreign trade value totaled US$2.6 billion, contributing about 28.5% to that of the city’s. The export value edged up 8.5% year-on-year to US$1.5 billion, about 16.6% of the city’s total.

In 2007, it approved 31 foreign-funded projects. The utilized FDI was more than doubled to US$681 million. By the end of 2007, 45 Fortune 500 enterprises had made their presence there. Oji Paper from Japan won the regulatory approval to invest US$2 billion into a pulp and paper integration project in 2006. The POM Project, an investment of US$140 million by Mitsubishi Rayon, Tocona and Polyplastics in 2002, is capable of producing 60,000 ton POMs annually and has the largest single line production capacity in the world.