Hainan Jinhai Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd. (Source: hinews.cn)

Hainan's foreign trade maintained steady growth in the first half of 2026, driven by the growing benefits of free trade agreements supported by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Hainan Provincial Committee. From January to June, the province issued 9,442 certificates of origin, with certified export value reaching CNY 1.45 billion, up 1.68% and 18.85% year over year, respectively.

Among all preferential certificates of origin, exports using Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) certificates totaled CNY 186 million, an 88% increase year over year, underscoring the agreement's growing contribution to trade growth. Additionally, exports certified under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area surpassed CNY 100 million, up 35% from the previous year.

Trade and economic cooperation between Hainan and ASEAN, as well as the broader Asia-Pacific region, continued to strengthen. Certificate issuance under free trade agreements with Pakistan, Serbia, South Korea, and Australia increased significantly, by 432%, 254%, 78%, and 68%, respectively, compared with the same period last year.

Hainan also made notable progress in expanding its market presence in Belt and Road partner countries. During the first half of the year, most certified exports went to Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia, Bangladesh, Türkiye, South Korea, Thailand, India, and Saudi Arabia. Notably, exports to Russia, Thailand, and South Korea grew particularly fast, with increases of 105%, 41.8%, and 40.37%, respectively, underscoring the province's increasingly diverse overseas market portfolio.

Meanwhile, the province's export structure continued to evolve as emerging growth drivers gained momentum. Key certified export items included polyethylene pellets, energy storage systems, paper products, automobiles and parts, photovoltaic modules, cold-rolled steel coils, chemical raw materials, optical fiber, industrial materials, and food products.

Among them, Hainan Yisheng Petrochemical's polyethylene pellets led in export value. Yangpu Renewables's energy storage system for power stations, exported to Russia, became a new key export category this year, ranking second. Hainan Jinhai Pulp & Paper's paper products also secured a position within the top three.

Additionally, Hainan Yongli Machinery's exports to Russia surged nearly 100-fold compared to the previous year. Beluckey&Wengfu Technology's chemical raw materials, C&D International's building materials, and Fipharm's pharmaceutical products continued to grow steadily, showcasing both the resilience of Hainan's traditional export sectors and the rapid expansion of emerging export sectors.