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Bringing Electronic Products when Entering China
According to the Announcement No. 54 of 2010 issued by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Customs), for resident passengers entering China who carry personal imported items acquired overseas for personal use with a total value of no more than CNY 5,000 (including CNY 5,000) or non-resident passengers carrying personal imported items intended to be left in China for personal use with a total value of no more than CNY 2,000 (including CNY 2,000), the Customs will permit a duty-free entry. Passengers are allowed to carry a reasonable quantity of single variety of items for self-use purposes.
For inbound resident passengers entering China who carry personal imported items for personal use that exceed CNY 5,000 and are verified by the Customs as for personal use or non-resident passengers entering China who carry personal imported items intended to be left in China for personal use that exceed CNY 2,000, the Customs will only put a tax on the excess portion of the personal imported items for personal use. For a indivisible single item, the full amount will be taxed. For passengers who do not declare their items on their own initiative or slightly exceed the allowed limits, Customs will handle the actual situation according to relevant laws and regulations, which may include not allowing the release and paying back taxes. If passengers attempt to carry a significant amount of excess items or intend to avoid the Customs' supervision by disguising or concealing them, they may be suspected of smuggling, and the Customs will handle the actual situation according to relevant laws and regulations.
Items for personal use refer to the ones that are intended for personal use by the passengers or for giving to family members and friends, rather than for sale or rental for profit or for charging labor fees. The Customs will determine a suitable amount of items based on the purpose of travel and length of stay for each passenger.
Importing Electronic Products by Mail when Entering China
According to Announcement No. 43 of 2010 issued by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, the total value of items sent by passengers from Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan (China) cannot exceed CNY 800 per shipment, while the total value of items sent from other countries and regions cannot exceed CNY 1,000 per shipment. However, if there is only one item in the package that cannot be divided and it is determined by the Customs to be for personal use, clearance procedures can be processed according to provisions for personal items, even if the value exceeds the set limit.
For instance, in the case of a personal mobile phone sent through the mail, even though its value exceeds CNY 1,000 (CNY 800), it can still be imported into China with payment of taxes after being reviewed. This is because the Customs follows the principle that an item cannot be divided into separate parts for assessment purposes. However, if two or more mobile phones are shipped together through the mail, they must be declared to the Customs or returned depending on the specific circumstances of the items.
The above are the things to keep in mind when bringing electronic products into China. In addition, many outbound passengers will carry various electronic products with them such as mobile phones, laptops, electronic watches, and e-books. Electronic products such as laptops and mobile phones have many components and complex structures that can block or interfere with the scanning of other items in baggage. This can allow items beneath the electronics to avoid detection by X-ray scanners from the top. To ensure a thorough inspection of high-precision items, airport security staff members often require passengers to take out electronic products from their baggage for separate screening during the airport security screening.
(Source: Official WeChat account of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shijingshan District)