ECONOMY

China Aims to Make Hainan Even More of a Free Trade Port

Published: Jul. 23, 2025 7:47 p.m. GMT+8

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Haikou Xiuying Port, one of the first batch of construction projects as part of Hainan province's customs clearance operation. Photo: Xinhua

South China’s Hainan province will expand the categories of goods that qualify as duty-free as part of a broader effort to open up trade on the island, an official at the nation’s top economic planner said Wednesday.

The effort marks another step in China’s trade liberalization plans for the island, which has already been designated a free trade port and granted certain allowances, such as duty-free imports of certain products.

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Hainan will expand the share of imported goods eligible for duty-free treatment from 21% to 74% as part of China’s broader free trade port policy.
The entire island will become a special customs supervision zone with two sets of trade rules: one for international trade and another for goods entering the mainland.
Duty-free goods with at least 30% value-added processing in Hainan will be exempt from tariffs when sold to the mainland.

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What Happened When

2020：: China released a plan to turn Hainan province into an 'internationally influential, high-level' free trade port by 2050, outlining 60 key measures including tax breaks and lighter regulations.

July 23, 2025：: An official at the National Development and Reform Commission announced that Hainan province will expand the categories of goods that qualify as duty-free and increase the share of imported goods categories eligible to be duty-free from 21% to 74%.

AI generated, for reference only