When you travel to another country one of the first lessons to learn is what you can bring with you and what items might cause problems at the border. The same question implies to shipping things to/from China. For example you might wonder if you’re allowed to send your family year worth of chicken feet supply for Christmas. Check what our guest writer – Mike from Internationalmoving company has to say about the topic - import/export regulations.
Following article was written by Mike Sannitti (with some of my addictional comments - written in italics).
If you are shipping things into or out of China, you need to be aware of China’s unique customs regulations. Many items are prohibited and some items must be declared and possibly taxed.
The following lists of items are not exhaustive and the regulations can change without warning, so you should always contact your travel agent or China’s local consulate to clarify any questions you have before attempting to get items through customs.
If you want more information, there are websites dedicated to answering travelers’ questions about China’s customs regulations.http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/not-taken.htm
Import
Prohibited items
Some items are not allowed into China under any circumstances.
Restricted items
These items are allowed in China only in restricted quantities. Bringing more than the maximum can result in having to pay duties or even confiscation of the items.
According to the China Customs Luggage Declaration Form (something you should have on hand when entering China) the following items are limited during entry into China and need to be declared in Customs:
Export
China does not let you leave the country with any of the items that were prohibited for import. There are a few additional items that are not allowed to leave China. These include:
You must declare the following when exiting China:
General tips
Remember to keep all receipts for valuable items with you. You will need to present receipts for items that you bought while in China if you plan on taking them with you when you leave the country.
Author Bio:
Mike Sannitti is a content writer for Internationalmoving.com, Topmoving.ca, and Movers.com
He also podcasts and posts on allyoucangeek.net
He is based in New Jersey, USA
If you are shipping things into or out of China, you need to be aware of China’s unique customs regulations. Many items are prohibited and some items must be declared and possibly taxed.
The following lists of items are not exhaustive and the regulations can change without warning, so you should always contact your travel agent or China’s local consulate to clarify any questions you have before attempting to get items through customs.
If you want more information, there are websites dedicated to answering travelers’ questions about China’s customs regulations.http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/not-taken.htm
Import
Prohibited items
Some items are not allowed into China under any circumstances.
- Weapons of all varieties (guns, knives, swords, crossbows, bows and arrows)
- Toy weapons that are accurate simulations of the real thing
- Explosives and ammunition
- Any media that could harm China’s government, economy, or morality [for anyone who might be interested - a worning - that also includes porn]
- Forged currency or securities
- Poisons
- Addictive drugs (prescribed drugs are allowed in quantities for “reasonable personal use”) [I guess that means that family can send you medicine as long as you haven’t requested them to send you a bottle of morphine] .
- Anything from an epidemic area (including food and drugs).
- Animals and animal products including, meat, skins, horns ect. (one pet dog or cat is allowed with proper veterinary information) [If you have a hamster or a gold-fish – bad news – they have to stay at home].
- Milk, and eggs that weren’t heat-treated [in other words anything that may go bad during transport].
- Plants [including seeds and sprouts – we need to take care not to contaminate ecosystem with foreign species. So if you have favourite cactus - it stays at home. Kiss it good bye before leaving to another country].
- Fresh fruits and vegetables [meaning - if they’re dried – it’s OK].
Restricted items
These items are allowed in China only in restricted quantities. Bringing more than the maximum can result in having to pay duties or even confiscation of the items.
According to the China Customs Luggage Declaration Form (something you should have on hand when entering China) the following items are limited during entry into China and need to be declared in Customs:
- Any item that will be left in China worth more than 2,000 CNY [in case you’re thinking of giving expensive gifts to your Chinese friends]
- More than 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars
- More than 1.5 liters of alcoholic beverages
- Cash valued at over $5,000 in US currency or equal value in any foreign currency.
- Animals and animal products. This includes blood and tissue. [Cats and dogs go through customs.]
- Transceiver communication devices like two way radios. (Cell phones will only need to be declared if they are not a personal affect that will leave with you. If you plan to leave it in China, then it will be considered a transceiver that you are supposed to declare)
- Any items prohibited and limited by the laws of the People's Republic of China [curiosity – Bible is one of limited items. You can take/send no more than 3 copies]
- Any luggage that needs to be transported separately
- Cargo, commercial samples, and advertising items
Export
China does not let you leave the country with any of the items that were prohibited for import. There are a few additional items that are not allowed to leave China. These include:
- Any film, photos, books, or media that would contain sensitive information that could compromise the Chinese government
- Priceless relics or museum items
You must declare the following when exiting China:
- Foreign currency valued more than $5,000 US dollars [or equivalent in any other currency], or 20,000 CNY
- Silver, gold, and any other valuable items. If gold, silver and the products made from them are less than 50g (2 ounces), then they are duty-free and do not need to be declared
- Cultural relics
- Transceiver communication devices.
- Any items prohibited and limited by the laws of the People's Republic of China
- Cargo, commercial samples, and advertising items
General tips
Remember to keep all receipts for valuable items with you. You will need to present receipts for items that you bought while in China if you plan on taking them with you when you leave the country.
Author Bio:
Mike Sannitti is a content writer for Internationalmoving.com, Topmoving.ca, and Movers.com
He also podcasts and posts on allyoucangeek.net
He is based in New Jersey, USA
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