On April 16, 2024, reporters learned from a press conference held by Haikou Customs that driven by the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the quality of Hainan's foreign trade development has steadily improved. In the first quarter of 2024, the province's import and export of goods trade reached 64.23 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.3%, equivalent to more than 90% of the total value in 2017. This is also the first time that Hainan's import and export of goods trade in a single quarter exceeded 60 billion yuan.

According to reports, Hainan’s imports and exports to emerging markets have grown rapidly. In the first quarter, imports and exports to the Belt and Road countries were 34.12 billion yuan, an increase of 28.5%; imports and exports to ASEAN were 10.79 billion yuan, an increase of 33.5%. ASEAN maintained its status as Hainan's largest trading partner. During the same period, imports and exports to Africa and Latin America increased by 116.3% and 39.9% respectively.

Driven by the construction of the free trade port, Hainan's foreign trade operations have achieved both quantitative and qualitative improvements. From 2018 to 2023, Hainan's import and export value increased by an average annual rate of 22.2%; the number of companies with import and export performance increased from less than 600 to more than 1,900; and the number of trading partners expanded from 160 to more than 190.

2024 is a critical year for the Hainan Free Trade Port’s customs sealing operation. Focusing on key policies, key industries, key platforms, key enterprises, and port security, Haikou Customs has introduced 21 specific measures to support the high-quality development of Hainan’s foreign trade.Editor/Zhao E