The first Consumer Expo after the full island closure operation of Hainan Free Trade Port attracts attention! Hainan Province responds to every question from the Daily Economic News: The zero-tariff product catalog has been expanded to over 6,600 items.

Each Daily Reporter｜Zhou Yifei｜Each Daily Editor｜Wei Guanhong

On March 30, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce developments related to the Sixth China International Consumer Goods Expo.

At the scene, Sheng Qiuping, Vice Minister of Commerce, said that the Sixth CIIE will be held in Hainan from April 13 to 18. This year’s expo is both the “first exhibition” of major national expos in the “15th Five-Year Plan” opening year and the “first showcase” after Hainan’s free trade port starts full-island customs clearance operations. There will be more than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions participating. The proportion of participating international exhibits will be 65%, up 20 percentage points from last year.

As the first CIIE after Hainan’s free trade port starts full-island customs clearance operations, what new experiences and atmosphere will it bring to exhibitors and consumers? When answering the above questions from a reporter of the Economic Daily, Batel, a member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the executive vice governor, said that this year’s expo has, for the first time, set up a Purchaser Service Center, upgraded the online supply-and-demand docking platform, and improved transaction efficiency. In addition, policies such as the duty-free zero-tariff goods catalogue for Hainan’s free trade port have been expanded to more than 6,600 items, which provide more opportunities for exhibitors to establish production bases in Hainan—especially supply chain centers—radiating to the broad domestic market of Mainland China and the Southeast Asian market.

Image source: Each Daily Reporter Zhou Yifei, taken on site

More categories of Mainland goods can enter Hainan duty-free stores for sale

Batel further told the reporter of the Economic Daily that the first CIIE after the formal launch of customs clearance operations in Hainan’s free trade port is not only a platform for concentrated display and trading of global premium products and consumption, but also a window through which various favorable policies after customs clearance are集中 released.

First, it makes exhibitors’ sense of gain stronger. On the one hand, efforts to invite global purchasers will be increased, and a series of dedicated supply-and-demand docking meetings will be carefully organized. This expo has, for the first time, set up a Purchaser Service Center, upgraded the online supply-and-demand docking platform, and improved transaction efficiency. On the other hand, after customs clearance operations, the convenience of corporate customs clearance will continue to improve, and exhibitors’ shipments of exhibits will be able to enjoy lower costs and more professional services. Policies such as the duty-free zero-tariff goods catalogue for Hainan’s free trade port have already been expanded to more than 6,600 items, which also provide more opportunities for exhibitors to establish production bases in Hainan—especially supply chain centers—radiating to the broad domestic market of Mainland China and the Southeast Asian market.

Second, it makes duty-free consumption more affordable. On the one hand, duty-free sales for travelers departing the island will be more convenient, and choices will be richer. The categories of duty-free goods for departing the island have already been expanded to 47 categories. Mainland goods such as shoes and hats, scarves, clothing and accessories, tea, coffee, and ceramic products can also be sold in duty-free stores. On the other hand, after customs clearance operations, the duty-free policy for imported goods for consumption by island residents has been formally implemented in Hainan. To date, five stores have opened.

Finally, it makes consumer scenarios more diverse. The Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone has introduced more than 560 licensed medicines and medical devices and special foods. At the same time, benefiting from the “zero-tariff” policy, the cost of using imported medicines and medical devices has been reduced by about 13%. This CIIE also specifically sets up an international health exhibition and distribution zone, allowing consumers to understand these cutting-edge health products and medical services more intuitively. Meanwhile, during the CIIE on-site, consumers can also shop duty-free. Relying on the duty-free policy for imported exhibits sold during the expo, consumers can directly purchase “new, strange, unique, and cool” goods from around the world at the expo site and can enjoy duty-free prices.

Batel emphasized that, overall, after customs clearance, Hainan is building a multi-level duty-free consumption system: “duty-free for departing the island + duty-free for daily consumer goods + duty-free for imported medicines and medical devices,” further “+ duty-free for exhibits during the CIIE exhibition period,” thereby promoting the transformation of duty-free consumption from “specific scenarios” to “daily consumption.”

In 2025, the cumulative subsidies for “trade-in of old for new” to support aging-friendly products exceeded 7 million units

In April 2025, 12 departments including the Ministry of Commerce and the National Health Commission issued the Implementation Plan for a Special Action to Promote Healthy Consumption, and launched the special action at the Fifth CIIE. What results have been achieved so far? What arrangements does this year’s CIIE make for healthy consumption?

Yang Mu, Director of the Market Operations and Consumption Promotion Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the first is “eat for health.” Strengthen the connection between the production and sales of high-quality agricultural products, and encourage the development of health-preserving meals, light meals, and simple healthy meals. In 2025, the market scale of green food reached 629.2 billion yuan, and “eating for health” has become a trend.

Second is “move to energize.” Life lies in exercise. The state invested funds to support the construction of venues and facilities for nationwide fitness, and carried out themed activities such as the Mass Participation Ice and Snow Season and the Ice and Snow Consumption Season, driving a boom in fitness activities. In 2025, the sales of sports and entertainment goods by units above the designated size increased by 15.7% year-on-year; over 300 million person-times were recorded for ice and snow tourism and leisure during the “2025–2026 Ice and Snow Consumption Season.”

Third is “swap for quality.” Include aging-friendly home products in the scope of consumption subsidies for trade-in of old for new, and promote the development of smart pension-related industries. In 2025, the cumulative subsidies for trade-in of old for new for aging-friendly products exceeded 7 million units.

Fourth is “healthy services.” Support the accelerated development of business formats for health management, psychological counseling, health preservation, and traditional Chinese medicine healthcare services; and promote retail pharmacies to expand service functions such as health consultations and medication guidance. As of now, nearly 1,000 retail pharmacies have upgraded to “Healthy Stations” with comprehensive service functions.

Yang Mu emphasized that this year, the Ministry of Commerce will also work with relevant departments to carry out a “Healthy Consumption Season” activity, to promote innovation in scenarios and integration of business formats, and to improve the level of healthy consumption development. During the CIIE, the launch ceremony of the “Healthy Consumption Season” will be held, guiding relevant institutions to release a healthy consumption index, healthy dietary guidelines, and proposals for healthy consumption, and to promote the concept of a healthy lifestyle.

“At this CIIE, we will also set up a healthy consumption专区, build platforms for brand promotion, product experiences, and industry exchanges, and showcase goods and services such as health food, dairy products, consumer-category medicines and medical devices, and health care services. An international health exhibition zone will be set up at the Boao sub-venue to create immersive experience scenarios such as smart healthcare, globally curated selections, tech-on-the-go, and health services,” Yang Mu said.