In 2025, Xiamen achieved new progress across multiple commerce sectors, including propelling reform and innovation, expanding foreign trade, boosting consumption, and promoting two-way investment – writing a new chapter in the development of high-quality commerce.

Reform and innovation: Fueling high-quality development

The 2025 IFPSM World Summit is held in Xiamen. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

As one of the first 10 national demonstration cities for supply chain innovation and application, Xiamen has deepened efforts to advance supply chain innovation and application, develop modern commercial circulation systems, and advance pilot initiatives for integrated domestic and foreign trade. 

The city's supply chain enterprise whitelist has added 132 new companies, bringing the total to 1,309, while the supply chain collaboration fund has been expanded to 40 billion yuan ($5.74 billion).

In 2025, Xiamen implemented three pilot policies, including a stamp duty exemption for offshore trade. The city also pioneered a "cross-bonded zone returns" regulatory model for cross-border e-commerce with Taiwan and launched the first BRICS "Secure and Smart Trade Line Pilot Program" shipping route. A series of innovative measures in commercial work continue to be rolled out.

Global perspective: Building a new hub for opening-up

The bustling Xiamen Port. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

As a major hub of opening-up in southeast China's coastal region, Xiamen has established economic and trade ties with over 240 countries and regions, with its import and export commodities spanning more than 6,000 categories. Two-way trade and investment have achieved robust growth. In 2025, the city's imports and exports reached a combined 960.02 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 3 percent.

To support enterprises in "going global", Xiamen has consolidated its existing high-quality resources for outbound businesses — covering foreign affairs, legal services, finance and taxation, and financial support — to establish a "five-in-one" comprehensive overseas service system. 

A specialized sub-fund sized at 10 billion yuan has been set up to assist enterprises in expanding overseas. Furthermore, 21 overseas comprehensive service stations have been established across 18 countries and regions.

Stimulating consumption: Co-creating a better life

Xiamen has deepened the integrated development of commerce, culture, tourism, sports, and exhibitions. The city has created new IPs such as "Beer Carnival" and "Coffee Week" and hosted nearly 1,000 consumption-boosting events, including the 2025 Xiamen Consumption Festival. Through a diverse array of innovative consumption opportunities and proactive expansion of the ticket economy, Xiamen has generated a citywide consumption boom.

The city has vigorously expanded trade-in programs for consumer goods, driving 17 billion yuan in consumption. It is also accelerating the development of new consumption models such as live-streaming e-commerce, the debut economy, and the silver economy. 

The city now has 146 tax refund stores for departures, including 66 stores offering instant tax refunds upon purchase. From January to November 2025, sales generated from departure tax refunds reached 154 million yuan, with both the tax refund and consumption volumes accounting for approximately 90 percent of the provincial total.