Xinhua Silk Road: Hainan FTP embraces tangible benefits since island-wide special customs operations

BEIJING, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- South China-located Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is embracing tangible benefits from its high-level opening up represented by the island-wide special customs operations since December 18 last year.

In the past over 100 days, a number of new foreign trade businesses completed record-filing in the tropical island province, with the gross growth up 65.7 percent from a year ago and imported zero-tariff goods and departure duty-free sales stood at nearly 1.7 billion yuan and 15.6 billion yuan respectively.

Recently, a press conference was held in Boao of Hainan Province to celebrate the 100-day-long stable, orderly special customs operations of Hainan FTP, presenting to the world the new dividends of China's high-level opening up.

Currently, Hainan is emerging as one of the new frontiers for China's opening up and a favored destination for regional cooperation, noted Cai Qiang, spokesperson for the Hainan government.

The share of local zero-tariff items has surged to 74 percent, with the total number of zero-tariff items at 6,637 ones and an aggregate of 11,773 business entities were approved to enjoy the zero-tariff policy, showed public data.

When Siemens Energy's gas turbine assembly base and service center, the first solely foreign-funded local hospital and the first foreign-funded esports industry project started construction or operation, Hainan won vote of confidence cast by foreign enterprises.

Since December 18 of 2025, 737 foreign-funded businesses were registered in Hainan FTP in the past 3-plus months, up 33.5 percent year on year.

All of the outcomes are closely related to its island-wide special customs operations, which effectively turn policy dividends into tangible results. Total imports and exports in the period exceeded 80 billion yuan, up 32.9 percent on year.

At a time when global trade faces enormous challenges, building new bridges to link different regions is of critical importance, said Holger Bingmann, vice chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the quintessential role of Hainan FTP in crafting an ecosystem that is stable, interconnected and full of opportunities.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/349995.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road