The value of zero-tariff goods imported through customs supervision of south China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) has reached more than 4 billion yuan (about 560 million U.S. dollars) since the launch of the island-wide special customs operations on December 18, according to data released by Haikou Customs on Thursday.
From December 18 to 24, customs authorities supervised more than 4 billion yuan worth of zero-tariff goods imported through the "front line," which refers to goods entering Hainan from countries and regions outside China's customs territory.
During the same period, over 20 million yuan worth of domestically sold goods qualified for tariff exemptions under the "second line" policy, which applies to goods moving between Hainan Free Trade Port and other areas within the customs territory of China.
The first week of the island-wide special customs operation also saw a sharp rise in foreign trade participation. Hainan added 1,972 newly registered foreign trade enterprises during the period, more than tripling the number a year ago.
To date, more than 30,000 new customs declaration entities have been registered in the province, up by more than 40 percent from a year earlier. Benefiting from the combined effects of supportive policies and the momentum generated by the island-wide special customs operations, Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping market also experienced a surge.
Between December 18 and 24, duty-free sales totaled 1.1 billion yuan, with 775,000 items sold across 165,000 purchases.
Compared with the same period last year, duty-free shopping value rose by 54.9 percent, shopper numbers increased by 34.1 percent, and the number of items sold climbed by 11.8 percent, highlighting the positive impact of the island-wide special customs operations on consumption and market vitality.
Hainan FTP sees 4 bln yuan in zero-tariff goods imported during 1st week of special customs operations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he had a phone conversation with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss the end to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In a video statement posted to social media platform X, Zelensky said both sides have "good ideas for lasting peace". He stressed that Ukraine is working around the clock to bring closer the end to the conflict and to ensure that all documents and steps are "realistic, effective, and reliable."
The two sides discussed certain substantive details of the ongoing work, the Ukrainian president said, adding that they have "good ideas that can work toward a shared outcome and the lasting peace."
He expressed the hope that the understandings and the ideas discussed between the two sides can be useful.
Zelensky added that Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation and secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, held follow-up communication with Witkoff and Kushner later during the day.
The latest development came after Zelensky has recently unveiled a 20-point draft peace plan, which was agreed on by U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators and is being reviewed by Russia.
On the same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is analyzing the peace proposal on Ukraine submitted by Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, following his recent meeting with U.S. officials.
"We are analyzing these materials, and subsequently, in accordance with the decision made by the Head of State, we will continue consultations with the U.S. side," Peskov said.
Earlier, Peskov said Dmitriev had briefed President Vladimir Putin on the outcomes of his trip to Miami.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told at a press briefing on Thursday that negotiations with the United States are progressing "slowly but steadily."
She said that Russia is "ready to continue working within the framework defined at the highest level in Anchorage," referring to summit between President Putin and President Donald Trump in Alaska this August.
Zakharova also accused Western European states of "torpedoing" the diplomatic progress.
She also added that Russia is ready to formally state in a written document that it has no intention to attack NATO or EU countries.
Also on Thursday, Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, said his company had received information concerning the United States' willingness to cooperate with Russia on the issue of electricity supply from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
He said that some of the electricity from the Zaporizhzhia plant may be transmitted to Ukraine in the future, but the specific volume needs to be determined through negotiations.
Zelensky holds phone conversation with U.S. envoys as Russia analyzes peace proposal
