Tax refund applications at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport surged 500 percent year-on-year in the five weeks following the launch of an updated refund policy on July 1, with customs officers processing approximately 19,000 applications submitted by international travelers worth around 100 million yuan ($14.93 million), according to Guangzhou Customs.
The Version 2.0 policy introduced a tiered inspection model: applications for purchases under 10,000 yuan are subject to random sampling rather than full item-by-item verification, while those above the threshold still require complete inspection. The change has streamlined clearance for the majority of applicants, according to a statement released by Guangzhou Customs.
On July 30, a Thai national at Terminal 2 completed her tax refund without presenting goods for inspection. Customs officers scanned the QR code on her application form, the system flagged her as exempt, and she proceeded directly to the refund counter to finish all formalities.
"Since the launch of the random sampling system for small-value purchases, passengers can get instant sampling inspection results at the port," said Lu Fang, a customs officer at the airport. "Those exempted from physical checks may proceed directly, pushing the overall inspection efficiency up by more than double."
Statistics from Guangzhou Customs indicate that from January to July, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Customs cleared more than 89,000 tax refund applications from international travelers, with a total declared value exceeding 486 million yuan, representing year-on-year increases of 750 percent and 140 percent, respectively.
(Cover image: China Guangzhou Fabu)
