Do I still need an export declaration at Haikou after the closure?
Yes. The closure changed how Hainan is managed against the mainland, not how Hainan exports to other countries. Cargo leaving Haikou for overseas is still declared to customs, inspected where required, released, loaded and closed out, and the entry, manifest and VGM figures are still reconciled against each other.
What are the first line and the second line, and which one applies to my cargo?
The first line is between Hainan and the rest of the world and runs on liberalised rules. The second line is between Hainan and the Chinese mainland and is controlled. Cargo going overseas is a first-line movement. Cargo going to the mainland needs a check: if it is duty-free goods or goods made from them, bonded goods that claimed the processing value-added exemption, or goods admitted under relaxed trade measures, it must use the customs supervised lane. Everything else takes the ordinary lane.
Should I ship out of Haikou or Yangpu?
It depends on the destination and the cargo. Yangpu is the regional international container hub, with deep-sea services and 3.31 million TEU in 2025, up 65.39%; Europe and North America normally leave from there. Haikou sits closer to the cargo source and the city, with intra-Asia and domestic feeder options. One more factor: Hainan's departure-port tax refund scheme names Yangpu as the departure port, so a shipment where an early refund matters should be routed with that in mind.
Are there direct sailings from Haikou to Europe or the US?
Haikou's network is primarily intra-Asia and domestic. Europe and North America are usually reached by relay through Yangpu, Nansha or Hong Kong. Quote the relay leg, including connection time and cost, as a separate line — do not present a direct transit time to your customer. Schedules and port rotations follow the carrier's current notices.
Is the container terminal really moving from Xiuying to Macun?
That is the plan. Macun phase three is being built to take over the freight function of the Qiongbei region, and Xiuying is being repositioned toward passenger and cruise traffic. The move is staged, and container work is still concentrated at the Xiuying terminal today. For a specific shipment, confirm the working area against the terminal's current notice and then dispatch trucks — do not plan from the long-term layout.
My goods are trucked from the mainland into Hainan and then exported. How is that treated?
Mainland goods entering Hainan are domestic movement and are not treated as second-line cargo. When they leave Hainan for overseas, they are exported under the ordinary regime. What needs care is storage and processing inside the island, and if duty-free imported input material was used, the rules for finished goods leaving for overseas and for the mainland are not the same. Sort the document path before the cargo moves.
What has to be in place before exporting fresh fruit?
Three things: the export orchard and packhouse registered with customs, treatment and testing matched to the destination country's requirements, and an inspection application filed with the customs office where the packhouse is located so that an electronic ledger number is issued. The declaration and clearance run on that ledger number. Registration is not a same-week process, so it starts as soon as an export plan exists.
Can I export through Haikou without import-export rights?
Yes, through a licensed entity acting as exporter of record. The catch is ownership: that entity holds the VAT refund and the foreign-exchange collection. If the goods carry a refund, confirm the compliant structure before cargo moves rather than discovering it at the refund stage.
What documents does the VAT refund need, and does the departure-port refund apply at Haikou?
A normal refund needs the export entry data, release and closure messages, the terminal receipt or gate-in data, the VAT invoice and the foreign-exchange receipt, with the operator and the invoice issuer being the same entity. On the departure-port scheme, Hainan designates Yangpu as the departure port and lists 15 mainland origin ports including Yingkou, Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Taicang, Lianyungang, Nansha, Zhanjiang and Qinzhou. Haikou is not one of them, so cargo leaving from Haikou follows the ordinary refund process.
Can dangerous goods be shipped out of Haikou?
Yes, subject to three confirmations: the carrier's acceptance conditions and slot, the terminal operator's dangerous goods approval and permitted categories, and your own DG packing certificate, UN number, packing group and container packing certificate. Terminal handling must be reported to the port authority ahead of the operation, and the vessel files with the maritime authority before arrival or departure. Work the timeline from those nodes, not from a general cargo plan.
