Editor's Note: Since the Master Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port was released on June 1, 2020, Hainan has made steady progress toward its development goals. Hainan is fully ready for island-wide special customs operations —  emerging as a vital gateway for China's new era of openness.

Rapid average annual growth (2020-24)
The province's regional GDP grew by 5.5 percent.
Fixed-asset investment expanded by 4.3 percent.
Value-added industrial output rose by 5.1 percent.
Total retail sales of social consumer goods up 4.3 percent.
Import and export volumes of goods and services surged by 31.3 percent and 32.3 percent.
The actual use of foreign capital over the past five years exceeded the total for the previous 32 years since the establishment of Hainan province (1988-2019).

Hainan's high-quality development highlights (2018-24)
Foreign trade dependence ratio — the ratio of foreign trade volume to GDP — has increased from 17 percent to 35 percent.
Actual use of foreign investment grew by about 36 percent annually, attracting investors from 176 countries and regions.
Four leading industries' added value accounted for over 66 percent of GDP, up nearly 14 percentage points since 2018.
Offshore duty-free sales grew by over 10 percentage points since 2018 in global market.
Nanfan seed industry output exceeded 18 billion yuan ($2.51billion) in 2024.
Marine economy accounts for 1/3 of provincial GDP.
PM2.5 levels dropped from 17 to 12 µg/m³.
Boao Dongyu Island zero-carbon demonstration zone is nearing carbon neutrality.

"Zero tariffs, low tax rates" policy benefits
As of late May, imports covering raw materials, self-use production equipment, vehicles and yachts had reached 22.69 billion yuan, with tax exemptions totaling 4.32 billion yuan.
As of late May, value-added goods processed in Hainan and sold to the domestic market hit 8.8 billion yuan, cutting tariffs by 690 million yuan.
As of June 18, pharmaceutical and medical instrument imports reached 114 million yuan, with 15 million yuan in tax waived.

Transport opening-up accelerates
By late June, 63 ships registered under Yangpu Port with a gross tonnage of 6.24 million, ranking first among China's free trade zones.
By late June, Hainan's three international airports served 69 outbound routes to 36 cities in 21 countries and regions.
In the first half of 2025 (H1), Hainan handled 8,433 flights and cruises and 1.2 million trips, up 18.5 percent and 20.6 percent year-on-year.
By the end of 2024, the province operated 155 productive berths — including 86 for vessels over 10,000 tons — with an annual port capacity of 280 million tons.

Advancing finance for real economy
As of May 8, 330+ multi-functional free trade EF (Electronic Fence) accounts have been opened by 10 pilot banks in Hainan, handling over 120 billion yuan in transactions.
By early June, Hainan FTP had attracted about $2.1 billion in inbound foreign investment via QFLP (Qualified Foreign Limited Partnership) program and seen over $1.1 billion in outbound funds through QDLP (Qualified Domestic Limited Partner) program.
In 2024, Hainan's cross-border receipts and payments reached $108 billion, marking its rise into China's mid-to-high tier.

Smoother flow of personnel
Hainan now offers visa-free entry to travelers from 85 countries through various policies, including those for cruise tours, transit stays, and regional group visits.
Hainan saw 663,000 foreign entries and exits during H1, up 48 percent year-on-year.
Forty-seven qualification exams are open to overseas personnel, and 337 overseas qualifications are recognized.
Since 2018, Hainan has introduced an accumulative 850,000+ talents and professionals.

Secure cross-border data flow
Issued regulations to promote digital economy and develop international data centers in Hainan FTP, as well as a negative list for data export management.
Carried out high-standard pilot programs to open up value-added telecommunications business internationally.
International gateway stations in Haikou have been approved for China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom.
Dedicated international data channels go live in key industrial parks.


Source: Official WeChat account of Hainan Free Trade Port