What to expect at Chinese customs when bringing in items for friends who live there?
I am taking a trip to Shanghai next week to see some friends. They have requested that I bring a few items with me to give to them that are difficult (or expensive) for them to obtain where they live:
- Gluten-free crackers and pizza crust mix
- Personal lubricant
- Vitamins
- Energy drink mix
- Dental floss
- Swiss army knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Designer earrings (18K gold)
As this will be my first time travelling to China, I'm not sure what to expect, and I would like to know if there's anything I should be aware of:
- Will I need to declare any of these items specifically on the immigration form?
- Are there any special considerations since I will not be taking these items out of the country when I leave?
- Are there any items that will be confiscated or destroyed if I bring them with me?
- Will I be charged a duty or import tax on any of these items?
- Is there anything else I should know before attempting to bring these items into China?
Also, the value of the earrings is in excess of the ¥2.000 threshold noted in the document linked from Ankur's answer, so it seems that I will need to pay a duty tax on them. This raises a couple of additional questions:
- What is the duty tax rate for US citizens?
- Can I pay the duty tax in US Dollars or with a credit card, or will I need to acquire Renminbi before I arrive?
I am a US citizen coming in on a single-entry tourist ("L") visa.
Best Answer
I don't have any authoritative information on what the rules are but my guts tell me that you should be fine taking all of these things.
All the stuff can be considered part of your own personal belongings as long as you take them out of the shrink wrapped packaging.
The fact that you wont have them when leaving can be easily explained: You lost them or they got stolen.
I never arrived in China by air. On overland entries my luggage was never checked.
Pictures about "What to expect at Chinese customs when bringing in items for friends who live there?"
What gifts can you not give to Chinese people?
Chinese Gift Taboos- Sharp Objects \u2014 Cut Off Relationship. ...
- The Number 4 \u2014 Sounds Like Death. ...
- Shoes \u2014 Evil. ...
- Handkerchiefs \u2014 A Symbol of Saying Goodbye Forever. ...
- Clocks \u2014 Bad Luck. ...
- Pears \u2014 Parting. ...
- Cut Flowers \u2014 Presents for Funerals. ...
- Umbrellas \u2014 Break Up.
Which of the following gifts can be offensive to a Chinese person?
Chinese Gift Giving Taboos \u2013 Avoid These In China, is not a good idea giving clocks (\u9001\u949f s\xf2ng zh\u014dng), umbrellas (\u4f1e, s\u01cen), pears (\u68a8 l\xed) or shoes (\u978b xi\xe9) as they all have \u201cbad\u201d homophones: \u9001\u7ec8 s\xf2ng zh\u014dng) \u201cattending a funeral ritual\u201d (\u9001\u7ec8 s\xf2ng zh\u014dng), (\u6563 s\xe0n) \u201cto separate\u201d, (\u79bb l\xed) \u201cleaving or parting\u201d and (\u90aa xi\xe9) evil.What is disrespectful to Chinese culture?
Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact. Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude. Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet. Blowing one's nose in a handkerchief and returning it to one's pocket is considered vulgar by the Chinese.Dos and Don'ts of Chinese Etiquette: Things You Should NEVER Do According to Chinese Tradition!
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