Hainan FTZ Trade Surges 54.6% as Delegation Deepens Hong Kong Ties

Hong Kong played host to a Hainan provincial delegation this week as the island province celebrated six months of full special customs operations under the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP). The delegation, representing Hainan's government and business community, signed deepened cooperation agreements with major Hong Kong chambers of commerce and promoted the latest policies that have driven a surge in foreign trade. According to data released during the visit, Hainan's total goods imports and exports reached RMB 173.98 billion (approximately US$24 billion) as of June 17, up 54.6% year on year. Imports of zero-tariff goods jumped 120% to RMB 2.645 billion, generating tariff savings of RMB 440 million. New market entities registered increased by 61% to 172,100, including 1,240 foreign-invested enterprises. Zero-tariff items now cover 74% of all tariff lines, benefiting over 12,000 market entities.

During the visit, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan) signed separate deepened cooperation MOUs with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. These agreements establish a regular liaison mechanism for periodic exchange of economic and trade information, and promote collaboration in professional services, green finance, the digital economy, supply chain management, and cultural tourism. Mutual enterprise service desks will be set up to provide consulting services on policies and projects. The parties aim to leverage their complementary strengths: helping mainland enterprises access overseas markets via Hong Kong, while facilitating Hong Kong companies' entry into the Chinese mainland through Hainan. The delegation also held talks with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, exploring ways for British and American businesses to use Hainan's value-added processing tariff exemptions and multifunctional free trade accounts to position themselves in regional supply chains and cross-border investment and financing. HSBC, De Beers, and other British firms are already active in Hainan, and the UK served as Guest of Honor at the 2025 China International Consumer Products Expo.

Industry analysts note that amid the shifting international trade landscape, Hainan is leveraging Hong Kong's "super-connector" role to accelerate integration with global capital and business networks, while offering the Hong Kong business community a policy testing ground for entering the Chinese mainland market. The visit underscores Hainan's commitment to deepening ties with Hong Kong as a gateway for international trade and investment. For more details, visit the Media OutReach Newswire release.