The People’s Republic of China takes Customs Declarations very seriously, so we have compiled a list of items that must declared when entering or leaving China.

Items which must be declared upon entering China

You must declare any items which you intend to leave in China with a value exceeding 2,000 CNY

You must declare any more than 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars, or 500 grams of loose tobacco you are taking into China.

More than 1.5 liters of alcohol with a percentage of more than 12 percent must be declared when entering China.

Any amount of foreign currency greater than 5,000 U.S. Dollars, or more than 20,000 CNY must be declared

Gold, silver, and other precious metals, in any form, more than 50g (2 ounces) must be declared

All Animals, animal products, micro-organisms, biological products, human tissue, blood, and blood products must be declared

Up to 3 bibles may be brought into China, but any more than that need to be declared

Transceivers, communications devices, and communication security equipment must also be declared when entering China

Luggage needed to be transported separately needs to be declared

Cargo, commercial samples, and advertising items must be declared.

All items prohibited, according to the laws of The People’s Republic of China must be declared.

Items which must be declared when exiting China

Any amount of foreign currency greater than 5,000 U.S. Dollars, or more than 20,000 CNY must be declared when exiting China

All gold, silver, and other valuable metals purchased within China must be declared

Cultural relics, endangered animals and plants, as well as their bi-products and remains must be declared

Transceiver and communication devices must be declared when leaving China

All cargo, commercial samples, and advertising items must be declared.

All items prohibited, according to the laws of The People’s Republic of China must be declared.

The maximum allowable amount of Chinese herbs and traditional Chinese medicines that can be taken out of China are; 300 CNY worth per person to foreign countries, and 150 CNY worth per person to Hong Kong or Macao.

Visitors to China can get into a lot of trouble if they fail to declare items, so it is very important that you follow the laws about Customs Declarations. If you have any doubt at all, it is important to ask.