"The Haikou company has grown from three employees to dozens, and we are also strengthening the cooperation with the city to help more pharmaceutical companies to export their products efficiently."On August 12, when talking about the rapid development of the enterprise since its arrival in Haikou, Kang Kai, vice president of Dun & Bradstreet China and general manager of emerging business department showed his excitement. Since the company’s settling in Haikou Fullsing Town Information Industry Park in 2022, DNB has provided data processing services to more than 100,000 Hong Kong enterprises.
In recent years, relying on the policy advantages of Hainan Free Trade Port, Haikou has been intensifying efforts to attract foreign investment by providing more favorable policies and constantly improve the internationalization of the core area of the free trade port. According to the Municipal Market Supervision Administration, as of the end of July this year, there are 5,381 foreign enterprises in Haikou, a year-on-year increase of 22.27%.
Good development prospects for foreign companies
In July this year, the "Oceania Free Trade Center" was inaugurated in Haikou. At the establishment ceremony, Meilan District signed cooperation agreements with two foreign enterprises, including Biofab Biotechnology Environmental Protection Company, New Savesin (Haikou) International Trade Co., Ltd., and will carry out further cooperation on advanced biological environmental protection material technology, international trade, supply chain management, etc. This is Haikou’s latest progress to create a gathering center for foreign businesses.
As the dividend of the free trade port policy continues to release and the degree of openness continues to improve, more and more foreign companies choose to land in Haikou and invest in Hainan.
In November 2022, the Hainan Branch of the famous German logistics company DB Schenker was established in Haikou, officially launching its business in Hainan; in April 2023, Estee Lauder Travel Retail Asia Pacific logistics center and China headquarters opened in Haikou, continuously expanding its travel retail business in Asia Pacific; in April 2024, the first Kärcher center landed in Haikou, further reaching its China business... Data shows that the new foreign-invested enterprises in Haikou increased by nearly 40% in 2023.
"From the early research stage to the construction of the bonded logistics center, we have fully felt the enthusiasm of the construction of the Hainan free trade port in Haikou." said Zhong Guilan, responsible person of Kerry logistics Hainan area recently in an interview with reporters. In view of the development prospect of Hainan Free Trade Port, Kerry Logistics became the first international third-party logistics company to invest in the construction of a bonded logistics center in Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone.
At present, Haikou is becoming an important forefront for domestic enterprises "going abroad". Haikou overseas direct investment presents rapid growth, a batch of well-known Chinese brands including Longji Green Energy, Mixue, Huaxin Cement and others have landed their international trade and investment headquarters in Haikou, utilizing the free trade port policies to boost their overseas business and achieve rapid development.
Excellent business environment for foreign companies
A good business environment is the fundamentals for nourishing the growth of enterprises. Haikou continues to optimize the business environment, timely coordinate and solve the problems encountered in the life cycle of foreign enterprises, and make every effort to safeguard the development of their businesses.
"When enterprises encounter problems, the industry park will arrange staff to provide guidance and help."Zhong Guilan introduced that since their landing in Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the park administration has provided a full range of services to promote and help enterprises to solve problems.
According to Haikou international investment promotion bureau, Haikou has set up a foreign enterprise roundtable system to strengthen foreign enterprise service. The city has built a two-level foreign enterprise service linkage mechanism that reaches both the municipal and district government agencies, establishing rapid and efficient response mechanismfor them to understand enterprise requests, tracking complaint solution status, and providing feedback to foreign enterprises all for a closed loop management.
In June this year, the three-year Action Plan (2024-2026) issued by Haikou Municipal Government put forward 19 specific policies and measures to further promote the scale and level of Haikou's outbound-oriented economy. According to the Action Plan, Haikou aims at initial achievements in high-level opening up by 2026, form a new pattern of agglomeration and development of "two bases" enterprises, and to implement more than 200 "two bases" projects.
An official from the Haikou international investment promotion bureau introduces that, in order to promote the development of "two bases" enterprise agglomeration, Haikou will develop the Jiangdong New Area "Two Bases" Demonstration Area and multiple characteristic industrial concentration areas, organize global-scale investment promotion activities together with districts and departments, accelerate the gathering of international investment elements in Haikou, to boost the construction of a "two bases" enterprise agglomeration new pattern.