China saw the sales of goods with outbound tax refunds nearly doubling nationwide in the first half of the year as the country's push to turn several major cities into international consumption centers bears fruit, a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman said Thursday.
Spokesman He Yadong told a regular press conference in Beijing that the ongoing drive to boost consumer spending has achieved positive results, noting that there was a 94.6 percent increase in sales revenues driven by tax refund shopping during the first six months of 2025.
As part of the country's broader efforts to boost domestic spending, it was decided four years ago that the five cities — namely Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing — would be developed as international consumption centers to match other leading global metropolises.
Meanwhile, a further step came in April when China unveiled a set of measures to further optimize its departure tax refund policy for eligible overseas visitors, which has further boosted overall sales in recent months. This has seen the total number of tax refund stores operating in both Beijing and Shanghai now exceed 1,400 in each city, with Guangzhou surpassing 500.
Speaking at the press conference, He noted the significant impact being seen in the five cities designated as international consumption centers thanks to these policies, adding that the so-called "China Shopping" trend has become popular among travelers and has been further aided by China's expanded visa-free policies.
"The total retail sales of consumer goods in the five cities account for more than one-eighth of the country's total. The number of national demonstration pedestrian streets accounts for a quarter. The number of Chinese time-honored brands accounts for about one-third. The proportion of imported consumer goods exceeds half of the country's total, and the sales of goods with outbound tax refunds account for around 70 percent," He said.
Int'l consumption on rise in China as tax refund sales nearly double
