Imported goods over NT$2,000 to be levied with customs duty

So I guess the NT$2,000 limit is indeed coming through, starting next week? I just got this email from DHL:

親愛的客戶您好:

財政部關務署指出,近年跨境網購風氣興盛,海外進口貨物享有完稅價格新臺幣3,000元的進口低價免稅額優惠,此舉對國內零售業產生不公平競爭。DHL提醒您,財政部關務署宣布,於2018年1月1日起,進口低價免稅額門檻將由新台幣3,000元調降至新台幣2,000元。另外,DHL貼心提醒您,若半年內進口次數超過六次即被認定為次數頻繁,第七件以後將無法享有免稅額優惠。(請至財政部關務署網站查詢更多資訊)

Google Translate:

The Department of the Treasury’s Department of Customs pointed out that in recent years the flourishing online shopping in cross-border trade has allowed the imported goods to enjoy the concessionary price of NT $ 3,000 for the import discount on low-priced allowances, which creates unfair competition in the domestic retail industry. DHL reminds you that the Ministry of Finance and Customs announced that as of January 1, 2018, the threshold of import low-cost allowance will be lowered from NT $ 3,000 to NT $ 2,000. In addition, DHL intimate reminded you that if the number of imports within six months more than six times that was identified as frequent, the seventh will not be able to enjoy the tax allowance. (Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Finance for more information)

And the link to the government website they provide:
https://web.customs.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=DED5DAB0D6C7BED6&sms=E2A70500945C48AA&s=EDBFBCD2BBE4A5E9

And that site has the text …

訂定「關稅法」第49條第2項免稅限額,自107年1月1日生效。(為減少進口人濫用低價免稅措施將貨物化整為零,逃漏進口稅捐,並平衡國內賦稅之公平性,將低價免稅門檻由3,000元調降至2,000元。)

And Google tells me …

The “Tariff Act” Article 49, paragraph 2 duty-free quotas, effective January 1, (To reduce importers’ abuse of cheap tax exemption measures to reduce the value of goods to zero, to evade import taxes and to balance the fairness of domestic taxes, the threshold for low tax exemption will be lowered from 3,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan.)

Well that sucks.

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Got the same. Consumer goods are truly expensive here.

This sucks.

Guy

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This does suck this is not a good trend for Taiwan and for us poor suckers who live here.
Soon you’ll be asking your relatiVes in the EU and the states and China to bring you electronics when they visit.

This is pretty common now. Someone travels overseas and takes orders for items to take back. It’s a great way to save a bit of money once in awhile since so much of what we buy here, except for food, is much more expensive than in Canada or the US.

It’s probably cheap er to, a 23 kg extra suitcase with KLM is 80 euro.

That would be fine if only the local online shopping companies would let me order stuff in english. You can’t even search for things using english. Instead you need to find the traditional mandarin equivalent. It’s insane.

Well … if you hadn’t noticed, Mandarin is the national language. So I’m not sure “insane” is the right word here.

So much for open borders, free trade etc though. Protectionism is alive and well.

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I know plenty of English speaking countries that offer alternative languages. Including Mandarin.

They might have the UI in multiple languages, but Google will sort that out for you if not.

Listings are always monolingual (ie., the language of the seller) - it’s impossible that they could be anything else.

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I’m expecting an Amazon delivery in January worth around 2800NTD (i.e. Amazon did not charge additional duty automatically at time of purchase last week), will be interesting to see if I get hit.

For those who don’t know, Amazon currently charges you directly for the duty for items above 3000NTD and pays it on your behalf.

Except…er…um…you are in Taiwan where the people use Chinese. English is not even a second language here like Singapore. Why would they go through the trouble of adding English when only a very, very small percentage of customers would use it?

Sucks though. Feel your pain.

I have been hit twice for the same shipment. Paid upon checkout with Amazon and held at customs here in Taiwan until I paid an additional customs fee. It was for an order that was $2800NT.

I complained to Amazon and they said the customs fee they charge is just an estimate and customs of the receiving country could charge anything they want in addition.

I just made an overseas purchase too and they added around 4USD to the total order amount. I have to assume this is estimated customs fee.

My parcel is worth somewhere around 6500NT. I’m ready to get slapped.

Hmmm, I’ve had 3 or 4 shipments of 2700-2900NTD, never had to put any further amounts on top before delivery.

Might just be FX fluctuations.

There some retailers who translate listings.

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Mine was shipped by DHL. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Oh yeh that’s probably it as I’ve gone for the cheap normal air shipping for all the previous orders.

I manage to find stuff in Mandarin, I have no clue about most things in Mandarin and yet I’m able to find it. Google translate, Google search, images, can be your friend at times.

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Sometimes the checkout flows on many websites here are so non-standard it can be confusing even using translation help. Especially when they do arbitrary changes to the UI.

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