Domestic duty-free boost on the way

China is to open 19 duty-free shops for domestic consumers, a move aimed at catering to the increasingly sophisticated demand among these shoppers for overseas products.

The decision on the new shops was taken by the State Council on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. They will be located at 13 airports, including Guangzhou Baiyun, Hangzhou Xiaoshan and Qingdao Liuting, and six ports in Shenzhen and Zhuhai in Guangdong province and also in Heihe, Heilongjiang province.

Passengers will be allowed to carry duty-free goods worth up to 8,000 yuan ($1,230), an increase on the previous limit of 5,000 yuan, the ministry said. The new shops are expected to offer a wider selection of overseas products so that Chinese outbound travelers can make purchases after they arrive at airports or ports.