Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

In a lychee orchard in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, workers move among the trees, picking the ripest fruit. What might seem an ordinary harvest is actually a window into a broader pattern: Hainan has entered the peak season for lychee sales, and export orders are steadily rising. Each fruit tells a quiet but telling story of the island's deepening integration with global supply chains under the Hainan Free Trade Port framework. 

According to CCTV.com on Tuesday, nearly 90 percent of the orchard's yield is earmarked for export markets. A newly opened sorting facility nearby has cut processing times by about 90 minutes. Coordinated steps - including inspection, electronic imaging, and cold-chain logistics - now allow lychees to move from the trees onto cargo ships in Shenzhen in under 24 hours. Incremental as these improvements may be, they illustrate the practical measures Hainan is taking to bring its agricultural exports in line with the speed and standards expected by international markets.

Lychees have a short shelf life, making speed and efficiency critical at every stage of the supply chain, from harvest to transport and customs clearance. According to the Hainan Daily, local customs authorities have taken a proactive role in coordinating with exporters, aligning procedures in advance with the phytosanitary requirements of markets such as Cambodia and Canada. These measures have helped integrate Hainan's fruit crops - including but not limited to lychees - into global supply chains.

Hainan's favorable climate and abundant natural resources have long made the island well-suited to tropical fruit production. As the free trade port continues to develop and the island steadily expands its openness to international markets, its fruit industry is accelerating and becoming increasingly integrated into global trade.

This internationalization runs in both directions. Hainan's fruits are increasingly reaching overseas markets, while imports are also on the rise. Supported by improving customs clearance, cold-chain logistics, and specialized supply-chain networks, the island is emerging as a fast-track gateway for fruits entering the Chinese consumer market.

Take durians as an example. The first batch of imported Malaysian durians in Hainan, following the launch of island-wide special customs operations at the free trade port on December 18, demonstrated remarkable speed and efficiency. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the 1.5-ton shipment was airlifted into Hainan and cleared in less than two hours. The episode highlights the efficiency of Hainan's trade environment and the advantages of its streamlined, well-integrated supply-chain system.

This offers a window into Hainan's ongoing efforts to deepen its engagement with international markets. As Chinese consumers show rising demand for high-quality, differentiated fruits, an increasing volume of premium produce from Southeast Asia and beyond is entering the country through Hainan. Alongside the island's expanding cross-border logistics network and other supporting measures, these developments are enabling more international suppliers to participate in China's consumption upgrade and access its growing market opportunities.

Hainan's fruit imports posted leapfrog growth in the first quarter. According to the Hainan Daily, local customs data showed that Hainan ports handled fruit imports valued at 57.518 million yuan ($8.5 million) during this period, a 4.8-fold increase year-on-year. 

In recent years, Hainan's fruit industry has continued to grow steadily. Fruits and related processed products, such as dried fruit, are reaching not only wider domestic markets via the island, but also overseas markets through Hainan's expanding trade routes, deepening cooperation between China and other countries and regions. With the continued development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the island's expanding openness has lowered cross-border operating costs and helped accelerate international collaboration.

Hainan's fruit industry offers a lens through which to observe the free trade port's role in deepening international cooperation. Developments in agriculture point to broader trends that could extend to other sectors, from manufacturing to services. Behind this are several reinforcing factors: the island's continued opening to global markets, the ongoing upgrade of logistics networks, and the rising purchasing power of Chinese consumers. 

Amid global trade uncertainty, China has continued to broaden its openness, introducing innovative measures to facilitate cross-border commerce. The 24-hour journey of Hainan's lychees - from tree to cargo ship - offers a concrete illustration of these opportunities in action. The development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, together with China's broader efforts to further open its economy, is infusing multiple industries with renewed vitality and supporting greater international collaboration.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn