China cracks down on tourists importing seafood for resale

In the latest of a series of similar incidents at Chinese airports this year, a passenger flying from Singapore was detained at Xiamen Airport by security staff and quarantine officials after attempting to transport illegal seafood into the country.

The passenger had the seafood – 17 kilograms of shrimp and salmon “wrapped and concealed” – seized from his luggage. The man claimed he was bringing the seafood to his friend, according to a statement from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). A report on the incident appeared on state TV.

The increase in enforcement actions on these types of incidents appears to corroborate reports of a crackdown on Chinese tourists bringing seafood illegally into the country in their luggage. Authorities are clamping down on this phenomenon – known as “daigou” (from the Mandarin words for ‘bring shoppers’) – which has Chinese shoppers flying in from Japan and South Korea with suitcases of goods they plan on reselling at higher prices. The “daigou” phenomenon is most popular with cosmetics but has recently picked up with seafood.  

Smuggling has been rampant in China over recent decades – both in containers and in a surge in high-value cosmetic and personal care products smuggled into the country to cash in on rising consumer demand while avoiding comparatively high import duties. The AQSIQ crackdown, which began with the cosmetics trade in 2015, was prompted by worries about loss of customs duties and consumption taxes. Consumption taxes on imported seafood are as high as 30 percent.

In an effort to protect local retail sales and make good on its plans for a consumption-driven economy, the Chinese government recently increased penalties for false declarations of imported goods, with fines varying from CNY 250 to CNY 2,000 (USD 37 to 293, EUR 33 to 263). The crime can also result in imprisonment, depending on the amounts of contraband involved and whether authorities feel it’s an honest mistake by a traveler or it’s a concerted effort to avoid customs.

In the past year, Chinese state TV news programs have regularly shown officials at airports stopping inbound Chinese travelers with suitcases full of luxury goods and slapping taxes – and fines – on them.

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