China launches $113 billion free-trade experiment on Hainan island

Hainan's Special Customs Operations Lay the Groundwork for Higher Level Opening Up

BEIJING, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- An interview from China.org.cn with ZHOU Mi, Senior Researcher at Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation on Hainan FTP:

China’s Hainan island takes steps towards goal of becoming a leading free trade port

It has launched islandwide Customs operations that allow 74 per cent of imported goods to be tariff-free. Read more at straitstimes.com.

China launches $113 billion free-trade experiment on Hainan island

China on Thursday split off a Belgium-sized island with an economy comparable to a mid-ranked country from the mainland for customs processing, part of a bid to join a major trans-Pacific trade deal and establish a new Hong Kong-style commercial hub.

China’s Hainan launches separate customs regime allowing tariff-free imports

Most goods can enter Hainan with zero import duties under the new system, as China looks to turn the island into a strategic buffer zone.

Hainan now has a new customs regime. What does it signal for China’s trade openness?

Hainan is now a distinct customs zone from the rest of mainland China. The tropical island province is being positioned as a testbed for policy and trade openness amid mounting external headwinds, say analysts.

CGTN: How China opens its door wider with island-wide special customs operations in Hainan FTP

The island-wide special customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in south China were officially launched on Thursday. CGTN published an article highlighting how the port's preferential policies will further stimulate business investment, facilitate cross-border flows of goods…