{"id":14164,"date":"2024-06-05T06:30:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T06:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=14164"},"modified":"2025-04-23T08:59:36","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T08:59:36","slug":"is-hainan-still-a-duty-free-hotspot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/is-hainan-still-a-duty-free-hotspot\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Hainan still a duty-free hotspot?"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the pandemic, Hainan emerged as China\u2019s most popular duty-free shopping destination thanks to preferential government policies and a raft of new openings from international luxury brands. But with pandemic-era restrictions a thing of the past, will Hainan retain its duty-free crown?<\/h3>\n

Hainan\u2019s location in the warm waters of the South China Sea has long made it a haven for fishing and agriculture and, in more recent years, tourism. However, over the past couple of years, a series of beneficial import and trade policies have made China\u2019s southernmost province a consumer hotspot and put it on the radar of companies looking to grow their business in China.<\/p>\n

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Foreign and domestic travellers departing from Hainan (but not China) have an annual duty-free shopping allowance of RMB 100,000 (\u00a311,458) \u2013 the most generous in the world. The allowance covers product categories such as cosmetics<\/a>, luxury goods, alcohol<\/a> and even electronics (when purchased from dedicated duty-free stores). With a saving of up to 35% on prices in the rest of China, there has been a strong incentive for consumers to make Hainan their main shopping destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsumers are entering a new era of duty-free shopping,\u201d says Rocky Chi, head of planning at Emerging Communications, a leading Chinese marketing consultancy. \u201cThe Chinese government will continue to push for duty-free shopping, and as for consumers, they are spoiled for choice by such an easy way of shopping.\u201d Indeed, the Chinese government plans to make the whole island duty free by 2025, not just the select malls currently offering the perk.<\/p>\n