Yangpu Port. (Source: hinews.cn)

According to statistics from Haikou Customs, during the 14th Five-Year Plan (5YP) period (2021–2025), the total value of Hainan commercial imports and exports reached CNY 1.13 trillion for the first time, up 19.2% from the 13th 5YP period. Exports totaled CNY 379.28 billion, an increase of 21.6%, while imports reached CNY 752.42 billion, up 18.1%.

Trade scale expands, growth ranks among the nation's fastest

Over the past five years, Hainan's annual goods trade has successively surpassed the CNY 100 billion and CNY 200 billion thresholds, rising from CNY 93.47 billion in 2020 to CNY 276.0 billion in 2025.

The average annual growth rate reached 24.1%, outpacing the national average by 17 percentage points and ranking fourth nationwide. Exports grew at an average yearly rate of 27.9%, 19.4 percentage points higher than the national level, while imports rose by 22.4%, 17.1 percentage points faster.

Private enterprises drive expansion as market vitality surges

During the 14th 5YP period, the number of enterprises engaged in foreign trade continued to rise, reaching 2.9 times the figure in the previous plan period. Among them, private enterprises have a more than threefold increase. Their combined trade value reached CNY 670.69 billion, a rise of 32.9%, accounting for 59.3% of Hainan's total and marking a 34.1 percentage-point increase compared with the 13th 5YP period.

Upgraded export structure and more diversified markets

Exports of industrial products totaled CNY 271.2 billion during the period, up 29.2% from the previous plan period and accounting for 71.5% of total exports, an increase of 32 percentage points. Among them, high-value-added products such as electromechanical equipment recorded exports of CNY 143.8 billion, up 30.2%, with their share rising by 24.6 percentage points.

Meanwhile, imports of bulk commodities, such as mineral ores, expanded fivefold, from CNY 58.1 billion during the 13th FYP period to CNY 295.46 billion, providing solid material support for the province’s development.

Hainan's foreign trade markets have also become more diversified, with the number of trading partners expanding to 230. Trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached CNY 608.65 billion, up 24.7%, accounting for 53.8% of the province's total, an increase of 5.3 percentage points. Notably, trade with emerging markets in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America continued to grow rapidly.

New trade models gain momentum, building sustained growth drivers

During the 14th 5YP period, new forms of trade, including offshore duty-free shopping, bonded maintenance, cross-border e-commerce, and leasing, expanded rapidly, becoming key new engines of Hainan's foreign trade growth.

Island-departure duty-free sales rose almost twofold from CNY 64.79 billion in the previous plan period to CNY 189.45 billion. Cross-border e-commerce trade surged from CNY 790 million to CNY 24.37 billion, a 29.8-fold jump. The bonded maintenance sector grew from scratch, expanding from aircraft to engines, automobile gearboxes, mobile phones, and other products. In 2025, bonded maintenance imports totaled CNY 102.75 billion, ranking second nationwide.

The leasing trade extended from aircraft imports to ship exports, with business models evolving from conventional leasing to bonded leasing, and an industrial cluster has begun to take shape.