Retail in Asia

China’s Hainan eases curbs on duty-free buys

The popular holiday island of Hainan in southern China will relax limits on duty-free shopping from Monday.

The new policy allows non-locals to buy duty-free products worth up to CNY16,000 (USD2,442) before they depart the island by air, without any restriction on the number of purchases, said Wang Huiping, deputy head of the provincial finance department. Currently, non-locals are allowed to purchase duty-free items in Hainan twice a year, with each purchase not being over CNY8,000.

In addition, the new policy will encourage the island’s two duty-free shops launch online services that will enable travelers to order on the Internet and pick up the products at the airport, Wang said.