At a press conference on February 4 about financial support for Hainan’s economic and social growth, it was shared that the province’s cross-border money flow has been steadily growing in recent years.

With a series of foreign exchange (FX) reforms rolling out—including trials to make cross-border trade and investment more open—the total cross-border money flow hit USD 115.42 billion in 2025, up 6.1% from the year before. Total FX settlements and sales rose to USD 24.99 billion, a 9.0% increase, while the foreign exchange market stayed generally steady.

Press conference on financial support for Hainan’s high-quality development in 2025 Photo: Cao Zhi

In 2025, cross-border payments related to goods trade reached USD 50.12 billion. General trade accounted for USD 18.89 billion, making up nearly 40% of the province’s total goods trade. Trade inside bonded zones saw moderate growth, with customs-supervised bonded logistics hitting USD 5.82 billion—a slight increase of 0.2% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, duty-free trade jumped to USD 2.78 billion, showing strong momentum with a rise of 31.7%.

Services trade grew at a quicker pace. Cross-border payments linked to services trade came to USD 7.04 billion, up 10.3% from the year before. Transportation services led the way, reaching USD 3.58 billion with a 12.6% increase. Other commercial services brought in USD 1.57 billion, rising 5.1%, while travel services climbed 25.3% to USD 620 million.

As a growing hotspot for investment, the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) has seen a clear rise in cross-border investment and financing activity. In 2025, total payments under direct investment reached USD 53.55 billion, marking a 9.6% increase compared to the year before. Outbound direct investment, foreign direct investment in China, and funding between related companies all expanded to different degrees. Among them, foreign direct investment saw a strong jump, hitting USD 9.54 billion—a solid 32.5% rise.

Cross-border flows in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) are likely to keep growing steadily in 2026. Goods and services trade under the current account are expected to expand at a more normal pace, while capital account activity could pick up momentum, thanks to fund pool operations and a steadily active investment and financing environment across the province.