Jun 18, 2026

Six months after the launch of island-wide special customs operations, the Hainan Free Trade Port is running smoothly, with international trade and investor interest rising sharply, Feng Fei, Party secretary of Hainan province, told China Daily.

The landmark move, which took effect on Dec 18, 2025, represents one of China's most ambitious institutional opening-up efforts. Feng said that the initial phase had achieved its primary goal of stable and orderly operations, with goods moving efficiently, cross-border travel more convenient, and businesses increasingly moving operations to the island.

As of May 31, the efficiency of customs clearance had improved significantly. The value of imports under the zero-tariff policy jumped 116 percent year-on-year, the average clearance time for imported goods dropped 20 percent, and the declaration requirements for goods leaving the island for the mainland were simplified by more than 60 percent.

Read more:

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202606/18/WS6a332bcba310986e2b4609c2.html