Hainan Residents Gain Exclusive Access to New Duty-Free Groceries and Goods

BEIJING, Feb 14 – A new duty-free shopping scheme is rolling out on China's tropical Hainan Island, but it's exclusively for those who call the island home. Since February 11, residents—including foreigners with valid residence permits—can purchase over 200 categories of imported goods without tariffs, value-added, or consumption taxes at designated stores.

The policy, enacted on February 4, targets everyday consumption. The initial product list is surprisingly domestic, featuring blue cheese, fresh oysters, dairy products, canned fish, fruits, tea, and pet food. It also extends to household items like bone china dinner sets, crystal glassware, kitchen appliances, children's strollers, and toys.

Five special retail stores have opened in the island's free-trade port zone: three in Haikou, one in the resort city of Sanya, and one in Danzhou. Each registered resident receives an annual duty-free shopping quota of 10,000 yuan (approximately 112,000 rubles), intended strictly for personal use with resale prohibited.

The program defines residents as Chinese citizens with a Hainan ID or social security card, and foreign nationals who work and live on the island with a residence permit. Tourists, whether from mainland China or abroad, are not eligible to shop in these specific stores. However, visitors can still use the island's international duty-free malls, which offer 47 categories of goods including apparel and electronics. Hainan's visa-free policy and established duty-free shopping continue to make it a dual destination for beach holidays and retail therapy, while this new initiative aims to directly benefit its local population.