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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Importing goods from overseas
Is there a limit on how many imported goods you can carry when coming from abroad? Like a limit on wine bottles, cheese or meat? I have a friend who will come to visit me, and I asked him to bring me load of Twinkies. But I'm afraid he gets searched and they confiscate the Twinkies. It would make me sad long time.
Anybody knows?
13 years 10 weeks ago in Transport & Travel - China
there is a specific limit. but i am not sure about the quantity
There is always a limit on the amount of perfume, alcohol and tobacco you can bring into or take out of a country. Things like meat, cheese and some fruits cannot be brought in, as well as soil and bio-matter.
For up-to-date information about what your friend can bring, check the link.
Oh, also some literature is prohibited too (and I don't just mean jazz mags, if you get what I mean, nudge nudge wink wink). I heard that one traveller had a copy of their China Lonely Planet confiscated because on the map page, Taiwan was not listed as part of China!
No limit just be ready for the custom duty which is very high.
I have come to China from 3 to 4 times a year for the last 15 years or so. I have now lived in China for 2 years on a permanent basis. I have never been stopped or searched at Chinese Customs, I always take the "Nothing to Declare Lane" and even if asked to X-Ray my suitcases, and having as much as 10 cartoons of cigarretes and 6 bottles of hard liquor, I was waved off afterwards with a smile and no consequences.
I will not recommend doing it, but I was prepared to pay the extra duty (almost 100% of cost) if stopped, Maybe I was lucky, hard to say. I came thru Beijing and near Shenzhen all the time.
If anything, I will say they are looking for other things, not extra cigarretes or scotch.
TedDBayer:
the xray is security,, the search is customs,, two different departments in most countries
HappyExPat:
1.- "near Shenzhen" will be the border station between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. 2.- when arriving to a country, normally you go thru "Immigration" first (they check passport and visa and affix entry stamp), Then you go thru "Customs" after picking up your luggage, I always use the line "Nothing to declare". After that, in some border stations there are X-Ray machines, and if you do not stop there and place your bags to be checked, you will be told to turn around, go back and do it. If they see some that arouses their curiosity, your bags will be opened and searched. But I have been told that they are mainly seeking fruits, and other items on the "No-No" list, and not on how many bottles are you bringing in.