Published on: 2026-11-06
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Haikou, November 5 /Xinhua/ — Duty-free shopping by residents of Hainan Province /South China/ has transformed from episodic purchases into regular daily consumption. This is evidenced by data from the customs service in the city of Haikou.
From November 2025 to October 2026, the total sales volume in offshore duty-free shops in Hainan reached 33.45 billion yuan (approximately 4.98 billion US dollars), with a total of 4.88 million buyers purchasing 27.64 million items, representing growth of 13.8%, 8.6%, and 2.4% year-on-year, respectively.
Starting from November 1, 2025, China has adjusted duty-free trade measures for travelers leaving Hainan Province, expanding the list of goods covered by these measures to 47 categories. In addition, six types of Chinese-made goods, including silk scarves, ceramic products, and tea, are allowed to be sold through duty-free trade channels.
During the specified period, the sales volume of goods from new categories included in the list under the adjusted measures reached 210 million yuan, and the sales of domestically produced goods through duty-free trade channels amounted to 240 million yuan.
According to the updated measures, residents of Hainan who have left the island at least once during the calendar year can make an unlimited number of duty-free purchases under the “buy and immediately take” principle within the same year, which implies receiving goods immediately after purchase. According to Haikou Customs, during the specified period, the volume of such purchases among island residents amounted to 410 million yuan.
Over 12 months, a total of 24,000 travelers who left China made duty-free purchases worth 160 million yuan. This was facilitated by the visa-free entry policy to Hainan and the expansion of the international flight network.
As part of the visa-free entry policy to Hainan, citizens of 61 countries who meet the established requirements can enter the island through open checkpoints without obtaining a visa and stay in the province for no more than 30 days.
In December 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched a special customs operation regime across the entire island territory. According to existing plans, China intends to transform Hainan into an international center for tourism and consumption by 2035. –0–
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