The Shanghai Municipal Tax Service has set up two on-site tax refund service points at the venue of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) for the first time, to facilitate tax rebate for international travelers attending the annual event.
At the venue of the expo, overseas visitors can enjoy a one-stop tax refund service. After making purchases, they can proceed to one of the refund points with their valid ID cards, shopping receipts, and the tax refund application forms issued by the store to instantly refund their tax payment.
To facilitate tax rebate for overseas buyers, staff members at the tax refund points can provide a multilingual service, including languages of English, Japanese and Korean, and help them go through all formalities during the tax refund procedure.
"Overseas travelers, including exhibitors, can enjoy the refund-upon-purchase service at the tax refund counters, after making purchases at the National Exhibition and Convention Center's cultural and creative product pavilion, further unlocking the consumption potential at the CIIE," said Yang Hanlu, a staff member with the second division of the Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, the State Taxation Administration.
Running from November 5 to 10 in the megacity of Shanghai, the 8th CIIE features the largest exhibition area in its history and a record 4,108 overseas exhibitors from 155 countries, regions, and international organizations under the theme of "New Era, Shared Future."
On-site tax refund points set up at import expo to facilitate tax rebate for international travelers
Gas prices at pumps in the United States surged above four U.S. dollars a gallon for the first time since the summer of 2022, reaching a record high in nearly four years, data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed on Tuesday.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States has risen by about one dollar since last month, reaching 4.018.
The price of diesel hit 5.454 U.S. dollars per gallon, up 45 percent in a month.
In California, the largest U.S. state economy, the average gas price stood at 5.887 U.S. dollars per gallon and the average cost of a gallon of diesel reached an all-time high of 7.455 U.S. dollars on Tuesday, as per AAA.
The growing gas price has become a challenge for local car owners in Los Angeles, California, as many of them saying they are cutting back on driving and changing daily habits.
"The only reason why I came here was convenience. I was completely out of gas, and on 'empty.' But this is crazy expensive. So, normally, I would never come to a gas station this expensive, and I'd look for cheaper gas," said Cindy Devereaux, a local resident.
"I commute a lot, so, I'm paying like 30 dollars more in the prices that I used to pay. So, it's really taking a toll on my wallet, and it's not a good look for the economy. I think this is just the beginning. I honestly think it's going to get worse, and we're just seeing the beginnings of this. And, yeah, I think we're heading into a crisis," another local resident Scarlett Zamora said.
Given the oil price hikes caused by the war in Iran, consumers' median 12-month inflation expectations in March surged, according to a Conference Board report on Tuesday.
The report showed that consumers' median 12-month inflation expectations in March stood at 5.2 percent, higher than the 4.5 percent reading in February.
Meanwhile, U.S. Consumer Confidence Index rose to 91.8 in March, up from 91.0 in February, the report said.
US gas prices reach record high in nearly 4 years
