Sanya duty-free sales exceed $11.2b in 2011-21 period

The year 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the implementation of Hainan's duty-free policies - a decade in which the city of Sanya has seen 73 billion yuan ($11.2 billion) in duty-free sales.

According to reports from Sanya Daily, the city's duty-free sales account for 77 percent of the total figure for South China's Hainan province.

The duty-free policies have undergone six major adjustments since they were first launched on April 20, 2011.

Following the release of the Master Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port on June 1 last year, the sixth and biggest adjustment of Hainan duty-free policies was unveiled. This included a raise in the annual tax-free shopping quota per person from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan; the cancelation of the 8,000 yuan limit for a single duty-free item; the addition of seven categories of products such as mobile phones and tablets; and the increase in cosmetic products allowed during a single shopping trip from 12 to 30.

In February this year, the "mail and delivery" service for Hainan offshore duty-free shopping was launched in Hainan to further improve the shopping experience.

Over the past 10 years, the duty-free shopping industry has seen tremendous changes and even now it is ushering in a new era, with four duty-free shopping complexes taking shape in the tropical city.

With a larger number of market players, Sanya's duty-free shopping industry is becoming more vibrant. In the first quarter of 2021, the total duty-free shopping turnover under the supervision of Sanya Customs hit 10.4 billion yuan, up 390 percent year-on-year.

Shoppers line up to purchase duty-free cosmetics at Sanya International Duty-free Shopping Complex. [Photo by Liu Xia/chinadaily.com.cn]