With full-island customs closure imminent, the Hainan Free Trade Port—China’s signature move to widen high-standard opening-up—is drawing intense global business attention. In recent weeks, international trade bodies, banks and multinationals have weighed in on the opportunities the seal-off will create.

       Željko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Xinhua that Hainan’s clear policy support and long-term tax incentives are designed to pull in domestic and overseas resources in consumption, services and innovation. “For Serbia—which has an FTA with China—the closed-off port is a new gateway to Chinese consumers and a chance to build fresh investment and technology partnerships,” he said, adding that Serbian and Chinese chambers will work together to shape them.

       Once the port is sealed, Hainan will operate under a “open first line, controlled second line, free flow on the island” regime. Čadež called this “an important step in China’s opening-up, showing Beijing’s readiness to enlarge free-trade space, stabilise global supply chains and help build an open world economy.”

       Mohamed Al-Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organization (headquartered in Dubai with 1,600+ members across 140+ countries), said Hainan’s experience spotlights institutional innovation, green growth, digital transformation and global cooperation—demonstrating huge development potential.

       FDI Intelligence, a specialist title of the Financial Times Group, wrote that the port will serve as “a test-bed for liberalising imports, exports, investment, talent and data,” aiming to become the bridge foreign companies use to enter and expand in China.

       Morgan Stanley research notes that post-closure, “duty-free product lines will jump from today’s 1,900 to about 6,600, lifting coverage to nearly 74 %,” a boon for off-island duty-free and travel-retail operators.

       The KPMG China-Moody Davitt “Hainan Free Trade Port Travel Retail White Paper 2025” argues that as the sealed-border rules take effect, tax reform and a dual-track retail model will keep the market growing and give domestic and foreign retailers more ways to participate.

       The U.S. International Trade Administration’s market brief on Hainan financial services says the island—China’s pilot zone for financial opening—is liberalising further through free-trade accounts, diversified cross-border investment rules and tax incentives that free up cross-border capital flows.

       Since the 2020 Master Plan was issued, global capital has voted with its wallet: in the past five years Hainan has attracted USD 14.9 billion in utilised FDI (14.6 % CAGR), welcomed 8,098 newly established foreign-invested enterprises (43.7 % CAGR) and seen investment from 176 countries and regions, while outbound direct investment has grown 97 % annually.

       International business circles view the customs seal-off as a critical institutional-opening measure that gives global firms certainty and a share of China’s market, promising fresh momentum for deeper economic and trade cooperation.