Hainan Island-wide quarantine has caused a huge stir. Officially launched on December 18, 2025, the underlying logic is "opening up at the first line, controlling at the second line, and free movement within the island"—in other words, building an independent economic and trade cycle.

Let's first look at the benefits of import and export. Foreign goods entering the island face a 74% zero-tariff rate directly on customs duties, essentially creating an international-level super warehouse. Want to transport goods from the island to the mainland? As long as more than 30% of the value-added processing is completed on the island, import tariffs are still fully waived. This combination of policies directly rewrites the trade cost structure in the Asia-Pacific region.

Even more impressive is the efficiency benchmark. Customs clearance time has been reduced from 5-6 hours in Singapore to just 1 hour, nearly five times faster. Coupled with the comprehensive visa exemption policy for 85 countries, personnel movement faces zero obstacles. This is not just opening a door; it’s completely transforming the doorframe—the rules for the flow of goods, people, and capital have been entirely rewritten.

For the global trade landscape, this is equivalent to creating a new hub directly in the Asia-Pacific region. The traditional transit advantages in Southeast Asia are being eroded. Whoever can adapt first to this new trade topology will gain a competitive edge in the next round of business competition.