Customers select goods at a duty-free shop in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
HAIKOU, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Duty-free shopping by local residents of south China's Hainan Province has evolved from occasional purchases into regular daily consumption, data released by Haikou Customs show.
From November 2025 to October 2026, offshore duty-free shopping in Hainan hit 33.45 billion yuan (about 4.98 billion U.S. dollars), with 4.88 million shoppers purchasing 27.64 million items, a year-on-year growth of 13.8 percent, 8.6 percent and 2.4 percent respectively.
China adjusted its offshore duty-free shopping policy for travelers departing Hainan, effective from Nov. 1, 2025, expanding the duty-free goods categories to 47. Six types of domestic products, including silk scarves, ceramics and tea, are also eligible for sale via offshore duty-free channels.
Sales of newly added categories under the policy reached 210 million yuan, while domestic goods sold through duty-free channels registered 240 million yuan over the period.
The revised policy allows Hainan residents with an offshore travel record within a calendar year to purchase unlimited "buy-and-take" duty-free goods in the same year. Haikou Customs recorded 410 million yuan in "buy-and-take" purchases by the island residents in the period.
A total of 24,000 outbound travelers made duty-free purchases worth 160 million yuan in the 12 months, facilitated by Hainan's visa-free entry arrangements and expanding international air routes.
Under Hainan's visa-free entry policy, eligible travelers from 61 countries may enter Hainan through its open ports without a visa and stay within the province for a maximum of 30 days.
The Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched island-wide special customs operations in December last year. According to plans, China aims to build Hainan into a globally influential tourism and consumption destination by 2035.
A single purchase
