On December 18, 2025, the first day of the Island-wide Special Customs Operation in Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the COSCO SHIPPING network of ports and shipping routes in Hainan Province also reached a crucial milestone.

At 7:00 a.m., Xiaochantan Container Terminal at Yangpu Port welcomed its first inbound foreign trade vessel of the day - M.V. COSCO SHIPPING XIN FANG CHENG. The vessel, which carried opportunities for regional trade and commerce, leveraged advanced online declaration and rapid verification to achieve “berthing upon arrival” before efficiently completing cargo loading, unloading, and transshipment. This operation effectively demonstrates the operational efficiency of the foreign trade shipping system within the free trade port, particularly through its specialized customs operations.

Within the customs supervision area of Yangpu Port, 21 containers fully loaded with synthetic resin products completed their customs clearance procedures efficiently and were ready for departure. These bonded goods, with a processing value-added rate exceeding 30%, would be transported to Guangzhou Nansha Port via the logistics network of COSCO SHIPPING Lines (Hainan), marking a substantial breakthrough in the implementation of the tax-free policy for domestically sold, value-added processed goods in the Hainan FTP.

At Macun Port, one of the 10 “second line” customs boundaries between Hainan Island and the Chinese mainland, multiple batches of processed and value-added goods from Hainan Island, such as roasted coffee beans and spunlace non-woven fabrics, were efficiently inspected and released, and then proceeded to leave the island in sequence. The successful dispatch of these processed goods also marks the smooth commencement of COSCO SHIPPING’s first “second line” supervised cargo operations in Hainan.

At Sanya Phoenix International Airport, a batch of high-end scientific research equipment imported from Germany successfully completed customs clearance and release and was transported to a designated factory in Hainan. The entire process was supported by integrated services from Hainan Harbor & Shipping Holding, enabling a seamless connection from international air transportation, import declaration to port operations and final delivery. These synchronized customs clearance scenarios reflect the deep support provided by COSCO SHIPPING for the construction of the Hainan FTP in terms of hardware, shipping routes layout, and green development, laying a solid foundation of efficient and smooth hardware facilities.

Under the supervision requirement of “regulated access at the second line”, COSCO SHIPPING has constructed modern inspection sites covering an area of over 520,000 square meters in key ports such as Yangpu and Macun that meet the customs clearance needs of various goods and passengers. These inspection sites adopt a “production alongside construction” model to ensure that port operations and facility upgrades proceed in tandem. The Yangpu international container terminal has continued to expand and has the capacity to berth the world’s largest container ships. From January to November 2025, its container throughput exceeded 2.77 million TEUs, representing a year-on-year growth of over 70%.

Weaving a Denser Shipping Routes Network Connecting Domestic and International Markets

Currently, COSCO SHIPPING has established 25 sets of container liner routes in Haikou and Yangpu, connecting major domestic ports with key regions around the world. Through transportation models such as “domestic and foreign trade transportation on the same vessel,” the overall efficiency of logistics has been improved. Since 2025, the throughput of transshipment containers at Yangpu Port has grown rapidly, with the increase in foreign trade transshipment containers reaching 213%. Its hub radiating capacity has continued to strengthen.

Building a Model for Green and Low-Carbon Development.

On Dongyu Island in Boao, COSCO SHIPPING has undertaken green renovations and established China’s first “zero-carbon operation area” certified by the German Energy Agency (DENA). Within the area, technologies such as “digital twin” and “PEDF” are employed to achieve real-time energy monitoring and near-zero energy consumption for buildings. This provides a green venue for hosting international high-level conferences in Hainan and serves as a showcase platform for China’s low-carbon development concepts.

Starting Anew with the Special Customs Operation in Hainan FTZ

COSCO SHIPPING will continue to optimize its intelligent port supervision system, simultaneously expand direct shipping routes from the Hainan FTP to regions such as RCEP and the Middle East, and rely on the hub port in Yangpu to develop regional transshipment and distribution functions. It will deeply integrate into the “Belt and Road” trade network and play a greater role in the construction of the Hainan FTP.