According to data released by Haikou Customs on January 3, Hainan's duty-free sales hit $71.5 million during the first two days of the New Year holiday period.

Data from Haikou Customs shows that on January 1 and 2—the first holiday since Hainan Free Trade Port's island-wide special customs operations officially commenced—the island welcomed 65,000 duty-free shoppers (a year-on-year increase of 60.9%), and total spending surged 121.5% to more than half a billion yuan (about $71.5 million).

(Photo: Hainan Daily)

Since the Hainan Free Trade Port launched its island-wide special customs operations on December 18, 2025, China Duty-Free Group (CDFG) has kicked off a major retail refresh across all of its stores. Leading the charge were 30 new store openings, including the world’s largest standalone Dior Beauty flagship, the Italian luxury outerwear brand Moncler's first two-story boutique in Hainan showcasing its newest global design, and the latest concept store for MONOLOGUE (Chow Tai Fook’s trendy jewelry brand). Shoppers were also drawn to over 70 exclusive products available at CDFG, such as a Longines watch, a special-edition Laomiao gold collection, a Martell XO Cognac, and Armani apparel with custom designs.

Offering a growing range of products from over 900 international brands now available, Hainan has cemented its status as a duty-free paradise capable of meeting the varied demands of a broad range of consumers.

A policy upgrade in place since November, 2025, which now extends duty-free privileges to international travelers departing Hainan for destinations outside the Chinese mainland (including China's Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan), has given global visitors an extra incentive to visit the southern Chinese province. “We are definitely seeing more foreign customers in the store,” noted an assistant sales director at Sanya International Duty-Free City.

To support the retail surge and safeguard consumers, the local customs office has also streamlined clearance procedures and enhanced the electronic product tag system for duty-free goods.