Hainan sees shopping surge after duty-free list expansion

South China's Hainan has seen a surge in duty-free sales since the island resort revamped its duty-free shopping policy on November 1, according to official data from the Haikou Customs.

In the week following the implementation of the new policy on Nov. 1, local customs authorities of the island province recorded duty-free shopping transactions totaling 506 million yuan (about 71 million U.S. dollars) by 72,900 shoppers, with the figures marking a year-on-year increase of 34.86 percent and 3.37 percent, respectively.

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Hainan sees shopping surge after duty-free list expansion

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Hainan sees shopping surge after duty-free list expansion

Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping list now covers a total of 47 goods categories after the adding of pet supplies and portable musical instruments by the latest policy update, which is the 10th update since the implementation of the offshore duty-free shopping policy.

To capitalize on the new policy, major duty-free stores across Hainan have launched various promotional activities. Many of them have stocked a range of popular items eligible for immediate pickup, attracting large numbers of travelers to make purchases.

"Originally, we planned to fly to Hong Kong and Macao for shopping. The salesperson told us about this new policy, so we decided to shop here instead because of the cheaper prices," said a tourist.

"Following the release of the new policy, we promptly organized comprehensive trainings for all our employees so that they can respond quickly to consumer inquiries about the new policy," said Su Haiyun from the sales department of a local duty-free store.

To smoothly roll out the new policy, the customs authorities have taken several proactive steps, including researching demand ahead of time, upgrading their systems, and testing a credit-based tiered supervision approach for duty-free businesses. These efforts helped build a smart, efficient, and well-rounded model for customs oversight and service.

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China led by chair Engin Eroglu in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

He said China stands ready to join hands with the EU to address global challenges, promote exchanges and cooperation among legislative bodies, effectively utilize communication mechanisms, and advance the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

Eroglu said the EU stands ready to work with China to contribute to the development of EU-China relations.