Customs searches at Shanghai airport sparks talk of "daigou" crackdown

 China Plus Published: 2018-10-04 16:51:13

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Last Tuesday at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, passengers were surprised to see customs officials search passenger luggage for taxable items, including one flight where passengers were required to pay import duties on more than 100 items. 

There is a booming shopping industry in China where personal shoppers working overseas, called "daigou", purchase goods on demand for customers inside China. The daigou then post or carry the goods into the country at cheaper prices. 

A buyer who spoke to the media said that Shanghai Pudong Airport has been thoroughly searching luggage for taxable goods over the last couple of months. Because he was unsure whether he would be stopped and searched, he was hesitant to bring in shipments for his customers. Some people believe the growing number of inspections in September are linked to soaring passenger numbers during the National Day holiday at the start of October.

A buyer from Jiangsu Province told reporters that people in her industry are worried about the new e-commerce law, the Electronic Commerce Act, which will be implemented on January 1 next year. The new law requires all procurement agents to register for a business licence and pay taxes, such as import duties, on all of the goods they import. 

The Shanghai Customs service hotline confirmed that despite the alleged increase in inspections of passenger luggage, customs policy had not changed recently. They said that the existing rules were being implemented as usual, adding that inbound passengers should declare goods if they exceed the duty-free limit.