Illegal goods brought into China from abroad are checked at a Customs office. (Photo/xinmin.cn)
(ECNS) -- A new rule by China's General Administration of Customs will put overseas purchasing agents under tighter watch.
Effective from June 1, it requires goods carried by Chinese tourists returning from abroad to be only "for personal use and of a reasonable quantity." Customs will temporarily keep surplus goods for at most three months, within which tourists should complete related formalities on time. Otherwise, Customs would dispose of them according to law.
The policy is intended to control the booming "daigou" business of purchases overseas whereby tourists help buy and bring back products to avoid paying higher taxes.
Items for personal use points to products not used for sale or rent, reported Shanghai news portal xinmin.cn.
An insider says a tourist can buy one or two pairs of shoes abroad, for example, but could face problems at entry checks if they carry over that amount.
The customs office will also put goods on hold if they are believed to need further checks or verification by other authorities.
