Last reviewed 9 October 2026. Tariff schedules change frequently — confirm current rates before you travel.
1. Getting in: the 240-hour visa-free transit
The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit covers 57 countries and operates at 65 ports across 24 provinces. It requires an onward ticket to a third country — Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as separate jurisdictions for this purpose, which is why the Shenzhen–Hong Kong combination works so well.
Separately, a large group of EU, Australian and New Zealand passport holders have 30-day unilateral visa-free entry, which changes the maths considerably: a same-day shopping trip becomes a real itinerary.
2. Getting money back: China's departure VAT refund
Foreign visitors can reclaim VAT on purchases made at designated mainland tax-refund stores. The mechanics:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum | $30¥200 spent in one store on one day |
| Refund rate | 11% on goods taxed at 13%; 8% on goods taxed at 9% |
| Time limit | Departure within 90 days of purchase |
| Condition | Goods must be carried or checked in with you — customs inspects the physical items |
| Instant refund | "Buy and refund on the spot" covers $75¥500–$16,473¥110,000 with a card pre-authorisation and a commitment to leave within 17 days |
Shenzhen has six refund checkpoints, and four are land crossings: Wenjindu, Luohu, Futian, Shenzhen Bay, Bao'an Airport and Shekou Cruise Terminal. So leaving mainland China on foot into Hong Kong still triggers the refund — you do not have to fly out of Shenzhen airport.
Hong Kong purchases are not refundable. Hong Kong has no VAT, so there is nothing to reclaim. A handbag bought in Causeway Bay gets you nothing back; the same bag bought in a Shenzhen tax-refund store gets you 11%.
3. Getting it home: US customs
The $800 exemption still exists
You will read online that the $800 duty-free allowance was abolished in 2025. That is wrong. What was cancelled on 29 August 2025 was de minimis — the exemption for commercial parcels and mail. The $800 personal exemption for travellers' accompanied baggage is a different provision and is explicitly unaffected. The two happen to share the number 800, which is why the confusion spread so fast.
To claim it you need: at least 48 hours outside US territory, no use of the exemption in the past 31 days, goods for personal use or gifts only, the goods travelling with you, and an honest declaration. Declare everything and let the officer determine whether it is duty-free — the exemption is not a reason to stay silent.
Where it gets expensive: the $1,800 line
| Total value of goods | What you pay | Does origin matter? |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $800 | Nothing | No — one pooled allowance |
| $800 – $1,800 | 3% flat on the excess | No — the flat rate replaces other duties |
| Over $1,800 | Formal entry: each item at its own HTS rate plus additional duties | Yes — Chinese-origin goods can hit 25% + 12.5% |
This is the most useful thing on this page: below $1,800 total, the country of origin is irrelevant. The 3% flat rate applies "in lieu of any other duty," and the regulation's only exclusions are duty-free articles and goods bought in US territories. Section 301 does not bite in this band.
Cross $1,800 and the flat rate disappears entirely — not just for the excess. Chinese-origin goods then face 25% (Section 301, Lists 1–3) plus 12.5% (the forced-labour action effective July 2026). Certain categories, including drones, carry separate Section 232 duties.
Worked example: a $600 Japanese camera from Hong Kong + a $500 French bag + a $400 Chinese drone = $1,500 total. Duty is ($1,500 − $800) × 3% = $21. Add one more $900 drone and the total becomes $2,400: the flat rate is gone and the Chinese portion is assessed at up to 37.5%. Buying one extra item can cost you hundreds.
Pooling with family
US residents who share one household and return to the US together can combine exemptions — a family of four pools $3,200. Crucially, once pooled, it does not matter whose bag the item is in. A father with a $2,800 camera pays nothing if the family total sits under $3,200; declaring it alone, he would face roughly $405.
Three conditions: a qualifying relationship (blood, marriage, adoption, or a financially interdependent partnership), sharing a permanent residence before the trip, and intending to live together afterwards. Each member must independently meet the 48-hour rule. Alcohol cannot be claimed against an exemption of anyone under 21, and tobacco and alcohol limits do not multiply with pooling.
You do not need to prove the relationship. The regulations require no documentary proof and the declaration form has no relationship field. The system is self-declaration with after-the-fact accountability — the person signing is responsible for its validity. But note the trap: if you do not qualify, no amount of paperwork helps. Parents living in a separate household are the most common case — they are still your parents, but they do not count.
The distinction almost every guide misses: the rule allowing a family to file one form together applies to all travellers including non-resident visitors. The rule allowing them to pool the exemption amounts applies only to returning US residents. Visitors filing jointly get a shared form and no aggregation of duty relief. If one person lives in the US and another lives abroad, they cannot pool even when travelling together.
Baggage: the limit is not your bottleneck
Transpacific routes use a piece system, not weight. Standard economy is 2 × 23 kg with each piece under 158 cm total dimensions, but the allowance now depends on your fare brand — some discounted economy tickets include one bag or none. China Eastern allows 2 × 32 kg on US routes, the most generous of the major carriers; United charges around $100 for the second bag.
Two 46 kg suitcases of Shenzhen electronics can clear $1,800 in value without breaking a sweat. People spend hours optimising suitcase weight and never calculate the duty — which is the larger number by a factor of two or more.
One trap worth knowing: if you buy a separate domestic flight (Yiwu to Shanghai, say) that is not on the same ticket as your international leg, that segment falls under the domestic weight system at 20 kg economy.
4. Does flying home from Hong Kong help?
No — not on tariffs. US Customs assesses country of origin, not departure airport. A drone bought in Huaqiangbei is Chinese-origin whether you depart from Shenzhen, Hong Kong or Tokyo. The 2020 executive order that stripped Hong Kong's separate treatment expired in July 2026, but the July 2026 Section 301 action named Hong Kong directly at 12.5% alongside the mainland, so nothing was gained.
Where Hong Kong does help:
- Flight availability and price. Shenzhen has one nonstop to the US (Air China to Los Angeles, once weekly). Hong Kong has daily Cathay Pacific service to seven US cities, often 20–40% cheaper on advance purchase.
- The Shekou ferry. From Shekou Cruise Terminal you reach Hong Kong airport's secure transit area in about 40 minutes, with check-in and through-checked bags at the port for participating airlines. You clear mainland exit once and never enter Hong Kong — and Shekou is itself a tax-refund checkpoint.
- The departure tax. Hong Kong's HK$120 air passenger departure tax is refundable for travellers arriving by ferry from Pearl River Delta ports.
Scale check: on $3,145¥21,000 (about $3,000) of goods, the 11% refund is roughly $346¥2,310 — about $325. The Shenzhen-versus-Hong Kong fare difference is closer to $40. The refund matters several times more than the ticket.
Frequently asked
Do I declare items under $800?
Yes. The exemption is not a reporting threshold. Declare everything you acquired abroad and let the officer apply the exemption. Failure to declare can mean penalties up to the full value of the goods, plus seizure.
What is always restricted regardless of value?
Alcohol up to 1 litre (21+), 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars per person (Cuban cigars prohibited). Meat, fruit and most agricultural products must be declared and are frequently prohibited. Medications purchased abroad are generally not admissible under FDA rules. Counterfeit goods are seized outright — a common outcome for replica-brand electronics from Huaqiangbei.
Can I ship things home separately to dodge the limit?
Shipping does not help and usually hurts. Goods sent separately do not count toward the accompanied-baggage exemption, and mailed parcels lost the de minimis exemption in 2025 — so a shipped parcel is assessed from the first dollar, with no $800 allowance at all.
I bought a "Japanese" camera in Hong Kong. What origin applies?
Whatever the physical label says. Origin is determined by the country of manufacture marked on the item, not the brand's home country and not where you bought it. Hong Kong has almost no manufacturing, so most "foreign" goods bought there still carry a mainland or third-country origin mark. Check the label before you calculate.
What if I am carrying several identical sealed items?
Officers can treat quantities beyond personal use as commercial importation, which disqualifies the flat rate and the personal exemption and may trigger penalties. The traveller rules exist for personal use and gifts, not resale.