Cross-border e-commerce takes off as Hainan gears up for full customs closure

October brought a wave of important trade and customs updates for Hainan. From booming e-commerce to new customs systems, the island is clearly preparing for its next big step, full customs closure under the Free Trade Port plan.

Trade Highlights

Cross-border e-commerce booming

Between January and September, Hainan’s cross-border e-commerce imports and exports reached 1.312 billion yuan, with exports accounting for about 1.251 billion yuan. Seven international cargo routes are now operating from Haikou Meilan Airport, providing direct logistics support.
📎 Source: Haikou Customs via Hinews.cn (2025-10-20)

Golden Week duty-free rebound

During the October 1–8 Golden Week holiday, offshore duty-free sales hit 944 million yuan, with 122,900 shoppers and an average spend of 7,685 yuan per person, a clear sign that tourism consumption remains strong.
📎 Source: Haikou Customs Official Website (2025-10-11)

“One Company, One Ledger” system launched

Haikou Customs released detailed new rules for smarter management of zero-tariff goods. Each company benefiting from tariff-free policies will now maintain a digital ledger tracking imports from arrival to transfer or re-export. This allows faster clearance and stronger oversight.
📎 Source: Hinews.cn (2025-10-14)
📎 Source: People’s Daily Hainan Edition (2025-10-14)

New “Second-Line Release List” announced

To prepare for customs closure, Hainan will introduce a “release list” (核放清单) system for goods moving from the Free Trade Port to mainland China. The system links to each company’s digital ledger, simplifying declarations and improving traceability.
📎 Source: People’s Daily Hainan Edition (2025-10-20)

Preparing for customs closure

A broader policy review highlighted how the island’s trade model will shift to “frontline release, second-line control”, maintaining openness while safeguarding regulatory checks.
📎 Source: Hinews.cn (2025-10-17)

What It Means

All these moves show that Hainan is not just opening its doors, it’s upgrading how those doors are managed.

The new digital ledger and second-line release list give businesses a clear framework for using zero-tariff policies without red tape.

Cross-border e-commerce remains one of Hainan’s strongest growth engines, with logistics and infrastructure now catching up to demand.

Tourism and duty-free shopping continue to attract spending, feeding into local supply chains and logistics operations.

Together, these steps are helping Hainan shift from a policy concept to a real, working free-trade hub.

Why It Matters

For companies trading through Hainan, these reforms mean faster customs clearance, better policy certainty, and potential tax savings.

Early adopters who align their systems with the new digital ledger and release-list process will have a head start when the Free Trade Port fully closes and the island begins operating as a single customs zone.