South China's Hainan Province reported a surge in the foreign trade activities and tariff exemptions among other initial outcomes achieved during the first 100 days of island-wide special customs operations, official data showed Thursday.
The Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the world's largest free trade port by area, marks the 100th day of the special customs operations on Friday, the launch of which represented a milestone in the FTP's journey toward becoming a world-class, high-level free trade port.
"I really believe that in times of uncertainty as we are in, openness is not a weakness; it's a real strategic strength that your leadership is showing here. I think I have full confidence in Hainan that they have a technically, logistically optimized structure, additionally to the 18th of December coming in the tax regime. This is a wonderful place to be for companies," said Holger Bingmann, vice chairman of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce.
The 100-day mark coincides with the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2026, which is currently taking place in the province.
At a press conference held on the sidelines of the BFA Annual Conference on Thursday, Cai Qiang, spokesman and Secretary-General for Hainan Provincial People's Government, noted that the policies are taking effect as intended, helping unleash the vitality of the FTP.
"In the 100 days since the special customs operations, a total of 7,503 new foreign trade enterprises have been registered in Hainan, a year-on-year increase of 65.7 percent, and a total of 11,773 market entities have been approved to enjoy zero-tariff benefits. Import and export value exceeded a combined 80 billion yuan (about 11.6 billion U.S. dollars), up 32.9 percent year on year, and the number of inbound and outbound passengers reached 861,000, an increase of 36.3 percent," Cai said.
The Hainan FTP was also highlighted at the BFA Annual Conference, with three dedicated events held in the three days leading up to the event.
"During China's opening-up in the past, for example, through pilot programs in Shenzhen City and the Greater Bay Area, China achieved industry's opening-up and became the world's largest manufacturing country. Subsequently, in developing the service sector, we have high expectations that the Hainan FTP will take the lead in guiding China's opening-up in the service sector," said Cao Yuanzheng, visiting professor of management practice with School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University.
On Dec 18, 2025, China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures.
Once an underdeveloped frontier outpost, Hainan became China's largest special economic zone in 1988. Even bigger dreams have since been envisioned for this strategically located island. A master plan released in 2020 charted a three-step course toward transforming the island into a "globally influential, high-level free trade port" by mid-century. The launch of island-wide special customs operations marked the fulfillment of the first step designated for the 2025 timeframe.
Hainan FTP reports milestone progress in 100 days of special customs operations
