On the morning of December 18th, the gantry crane at Yangpu Port began to work in the morning light, and a container ship that had just docked was unloading cargo. Mr. Wang, the dock operator, monitored the system while saying to his colleagues, "Customs are closed today. From now on, we will be the real 'front line' here." At this moment, multiple ports on the entire island of Hainan, from Yangpu to Sanya, from Haikou to Basuo, are synchronously switching to a new regulatory mode - Hainan Free Trade Port is officially closed for operation.

According to the post lockdown policy, Hainan Island will implement "first line" liberalization and "second line" control. There are currently 8 ports on the island that are open to the outside world and listed as "first tier" ports, implementing various preferential and convenient measures for imported goods that meet the conditions; At the same time, 10 "second tier ports" such as Haikou New Port and Haikou South Port will be set up to facilitate the passage of goods entering the mainland.

At present, the first tier ports include Haikou Port, Yangpu Port, Basuo Port, Sanya Port, Qinglan Port, and three aviation ports; Second tier ports cover major ports and airports. This article will focus on the water transportation ports and interpret the "Four Directions and Five Ports" pattern that supports the construction of free trade ports.

Yangpu Port takes the lead, Haikou Port undergoes transformation

As one of the 11 international hub ports along the coast of China, Yangpu Port is undoubtedly the "leader" of Hainan ports. The port consists of three port areas: Yangpu, Shentou, and Houshuiwan. The planned dock shoreline is about 44 kilometers long and can accommodate approximately 146 berths. Among them, Yangpu International Container Terminal has 6 deep-water berths, including 2 200000 ton berths, with an annual designed throughput capacity of about 5 million TEUs.

From January to October 2025, Yangpu Port completed a container throughput of 2.47 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 52.5%. According to the plan, by 2035, the throughput of Yangpu Port will reach 225 million tons, with 12 million TEUs of containers.

In contrast, Haikou Port is currently in a critical period of functional adjustment. As one of the 25 major coastal ports in China, Haikou Port includes three port areas: Xiuying, Macun, and Xinhai, which are undergoing orderly transformation. Xiuying Port will focus on developing cruise tourism and port and shipping services; The Macun Port Area mainly focuses on container and bulk cargo transportation; The Xinhaigang District has become the core of cross Strait transportation.

From January to October 2025, Haikou Port completed a container throughput of 980000 TEUs. It is expected that by 2035, the comprehensive throughput capacity of the three port areas will exceed 250 million tons. At present, the third phase of the Macun Port container terminal has started construction, and after completion, it will have an annual throughput capacity of 1.67 million TEUs of containers.

Sanya tourism, eight energy sources, and Qinglan guarantee

If Yangpu and Haikou ports serve as comprehensive hubs, then other ports exhibit distinct specialized features. Sanya Port is making every effort to build an international tourist port. The port consists of four areas: Sanya Port Area focuses on the construction of an international cruise homeport and yacht demonstration base. In the future, one 100000 ton cruise berth will be built and Phoenix Island Terminal will be upgraded to two 225000 ton cruise berths; Nanshan Port Area will undertake the transfer of freight functions from the old port area and complete a cargo throughput of 910000 tons by 2024; Yingge Port District mainly receives and unloads coal from power plants; Clearwater Bay Port Area focuses on yacht and ocean tourism.

As a national first-class open port for water transportation, Basuo Port focuses on the construction of energy and chemical hubs. At present, there are 2 operating areas with a total of 11 berths, including 8 berths of over 10000 tons. In the future, we plan to build a high discharge port area and create an energy and chemical hub port facing Southeast Asia.

Qinglan Port undertakes special protection functions. This port located in the eastern part of Hainan has 5 berths and an annual designed throughput capacity of 3.7 million tons. It mainly serves the transportation of energy, raw materials, agricultural products along the eastern coast of Hainan, as well as the transportation of equipment for the Aerospace Science and Technology City and the national major strategic service guarantee zone.

155 berths support the logistics system of the free trade port

Throughout the island, Hainan's port infrastructure has formed a considerable scale. As of now, a total of 155 productive berths have been built in the province, including 86 berths of 10000 tons or above, forming the basic pattern of "four directions and five ports".

These ports undertake different missions after being closed: first tier ports directly face the world and implement more open trade policies; Second tier ports serve as bridges connecting with the mainland. Especially as a dedicated port for passenger and freight vehicle roll on/roll off transportation, Haikou New Port, as well as Hainan's only train ferry terminal - Haikou Nangang, will play a key role in the transportation of the Qiongzhou Strait.

The port circle believes that the four directions, five ports, and three airports together form the eight first tier ports and ten second tier ports of Hainan Free Trade Port. These ports have their own development priorities and will receive national strategic support in the future. The lockdown is just the beginning, and how much potential Hainan Free Trade Port can realize still needs time to test. But what can be confirmed is that these ports have become an important cornerstone for carrying China's highest level of opening-up policy, and their operational efficiency and service capabilities will directly affect the success or failure of free trade port construction.

With the arrival of the first customs day, the story of Hainan ports has just opened a new chapter. From the container terminal in Yangpu to the cruise homeport in Sanya, from the energy hub of the Eight Institutes to the guarantee base in Qinglan, every berth is witnessing the new practice of China's reform and opening up. Editor/Yang Beihua