China to add 19 inbound duty free shops at air and seaports

China's Ministry of Finance has announced that 19 inbound duty-free shops will soon open in 13 airports and six sea ports to cater to increasing demand from domestic travellers for overseas products. Passengers' duty-free limit will rise from ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 ($1,230), with a limit of four tins of infant milk formula.

China will soon open 19 new duty-free shops for domestic consumers, a move aimed at catering to the increasingly sophisticated demand from Chinese citizens for overseas products, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.

The decision about the new shops has been approved by the State Council. The 19 shops will be located in 13 airports, including Guangzhou Baiyun, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Chengdu Shuangliu and Qingdao Liuting, as well as six ports in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, Guangdong province and also in Heihe, Heilongjiang province.

Passengers can carry duty-free goods worth up to 8,000 yuan, up from the previous 5,000-yuan limit. The new shops are expected to offer a wider selection of overseas products so that outbound travelers can make purchases after they arrive at airports or ports.

The duty-free shops will sell infant formula, diapers, bags, suitcases, cosmetics and skin care products. However, each buyer will be limited to no more than four tins of baby formula.

In recent years, the number of Chinese outbound tourists has seen continuous growth. In 2014, Chinese citizens made more than 100 million overseas trips and spent more than 1 trillion yuan. During the 2016 Spring Festival travel season, outbound tourists numbered up to 6 million, hitting a record high.