A photo of the Haikou International Duty Free City Shopping Complex, Haikou, South China's Hainan province. [Photo/VCG]

Duty-free sales in South China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) jumped 44.8 percent year on year in January, marking a strong start following the launch of island-wide special customs operations.

According to statistics from Haikou Customs, in January, offshore duty-free shopping sales in Hainan reached 4.53 billion yuan (about $653 million), a 44.8 percent increase from last year.

A total of 560,000 visits were paid to the duty-free shops in Hainan in January and purchased 3.367 million items, a 21.0 percent increase in the number of visits and a 14.0 percent increase in purchases, compared to the same period in 2025.

To accelerate the circulation of duty-free goods, Haikou Customs directly linked bonded warehouses to duty-free locations, introduced a "centralized + automated" document review model, and implemented remote supervision to ensure best-selling products are stocked promptly.

Haikou Customs also established a joint rapid-response mechanism involving customs authorities, duty-free enterprises, public service platforms, and passenger transport companies to enhance the shopping experience and crack down on smuggling activities.