Sanya's foreign trade sees strong start in first two months

The economy is really taking off in Sanya. In the first two months of 2026, its foreign trade imports and exports hit 6.04 billion yuan ($877 million).

That's up a whopping 49.6 percent on the previous year, making for an extraordinarily powerful start to the year.

By the end of February, the number of registered foreign trade business entities in Sanya topped 30,000, showing particularly robust growth in the trade sector.

Behind the growth are said to be the rapid increase in foreign trade entities and the rollout of new business policies under the Hainan Free Trade Port.

In the first two months, 387 new entities benefited from the zero-tariff policy, bringing the total to nearly 1,500.

Additionally, a series of facilitation measures has been rolled out, continually unleashing policy benefits.

Meanwhile, the duty-free economy remains vibrant, with consumer spending on the rise. Offshore duty-free shopping in Sanya reached about 7.12 billion yuan in the first two months, a 28.3 percent increase year-on-year, giving a strong boost to foreign trade growth.

To ensure policy benefits effectively support industry development, Sanya Customs, under Haikou Customs, has set up a policy outreach team to engage directly with businesses — offering tailored support to address their specific challenges.

Sanya Customs will focus on unique sectors like seed breeding, sports events, exhibitions and duty-free shopping, according to an official with the body.

The plan is to explore more innovative regulatory approaches, continually enhance services for businesses and stimulate new momentum in foreign trade development.